England footballers to lose major part of Euro 2025 prize money post-final win

Irish Daily Mirror

2 days ago

England clinched their second European Championship title in three years after defeating Spain in Sunday's final. However, a significant portion of their prize money could be deducted due to the tax payable on their earnings.
The Lionesses had to rally from behind in the Euro 2025 final after Mariona Caldentey netted the opener for Spain in the first half. Alessia Russo levelled the score just before the hour mark, pushing the match into extra time and eventually penalties.
Lionesses' goalkeeper Hannah Hampton saved two penalties in the shootout, with Chloe Kelly scoring the decisive penalty that sent England fans into raptures.
Prior to the tournament, UEFA announced a record £34million in prize money available to the 16 competing nations.
A whopping £4.4m was set aside for the champions, including performance bonuses, with participating teams obliged to distribute between 30 per cent and 40 per cent of their prize money among the players, reports the Express.
According to The Guardian, the Lionesses agreed on a bonus structure with the FA ahead of Euro 2025, which would see England stars collectively receive a payout of £1.75m if they won the trophy.
Following England's victory, leading audit, tax and business advisory firm, Blick Rothenberg, revealed that over three quarters of a million pounds could be deducted from the Lionesses' prize fund and paid to HMRC. England Lionesses stars will be forced to give up a large chunk of their Euro 2025 prize money (Image: GETTY)
Robert Salter, a director at the firm, commented: "The Lionesses will be thrilled with their victory at Euro 2025 for what it symbolises and the hard work that went into achieving it.
"However, they will face a substantial tax bill to HMRC on their prize money, with a combined total tax and National Insurance Contributions (NIC) liability of approximately £788,900 for the entire team.
"Despite the Lionesses not earning as much as their male counterparts, the average bonuses per player of £73,000 each will ensure that all squad members are subject to an effective marginal tax rate of 47 per cent - 45 per cent income tax and 2 per cent NIC on their income above the £125,140 per annum threshold, meaning they could be paying around £34,300 each in tax."
He further noted: "In addition to the tax and NIC payable on the winning bonuses by the players personally, the FA should be liable to employers' NIC on the prize bonuses, which will cost the FA roughly £255,000 more.
"Many players are also earning significant amounts through marketing, appearance fees and image rights, which are also taxable.
"Their earnings from these sources are likely to surge considerably over the coming months given their success and the ongoing rise in the profile of women's football, meaning HMRC will be reaping even more tax 'wins' in the future."