How Borussia Dortmund (Financially) Wins Even If They Lose The Champions League Final

This weekend's Champions League winner will take home a $21.5 million first place prize, but one unique clause means Borussia Dortmund could make even more money by losing.

Wembley Stadium in London will host the 2024 Champions League Final this Saturday. Roughly 90,000 fans will pack Europe’s biggest stadium, with ticket prices ranging from $1,900 for nosebleeds to more than $35,000 for a luxury experience.

The winner will receive a two-and-a-half-foot-tall trophy and 40 gold medals, which they can hand out to whoever they want. Wembley Stadium has hired 2,500 stewards and invested $6.3 million in safety infrastructure improvements, mainly to avoid a situation like 2020 when 2,000 people illegally snuck into the Euro Final between England and Italy. And UEFA estimates that over 450 million globally will watch at least some portion of the match, making it one of the world’s biggest sporting events.

The Champions League Final is massive; we know this. But the money behind the match is sometimes even more interesting (and complex) than the match itself.