For Baltic football, the Champions League and Conference League qualifiers are the highlight of the season. Each tie offers the chance to showcase local talent, test against stronger opponents, and, crucially, bring in significant UEFA prize money. With elimination bonuses plus €175,000 for every qualifying round played, even a short run delivers a substantial payout.
RFS and Riga FC still in play
Latvian champions RFS have already guaranteed €1.71 million by reaching the Conference League play-off round. City rivals Riga FC are close behind with €1.275 million. Both clubs will see their totals increase further if they advance to the group stage, which carries a fixed payment of €3.17 million.
The task, however, is not of equal difficulty as RFS face Ħamrun Spartans from Malta, whereas Riga FC will have to overcome European powerhouse Sparta Praha to get there.
Levadia top the eliminated clubs
Estonia’s FCI Levadia Tallinn lead the earnings among eliminated sides, collecting €1.335 million. Their campaign began in the Champions League, continued into the Conference League, and ended in the third qualifying round against Differdange. The total combines the €550,000 third-round bonus, three qualifying-round payments, and the €260,000 solidarity sum for domestic champions.
Kauno Žalgiris cross the million mark
Lithuania’s FK Kauno Žalgiris also broke seven figures with €1.075 million. Their run featured wins over Wales’ Penybont and Iceland’s Valur, before elimination by Bulgaria’s Arda Kardzhali in the third qualifying round.
FK Žalgiris finish just short
The Lithuanian champions Žalgiris Vilnius earned €960,000. After dropping out of the Champions League against Ħamrun Spartans, they entered the Conference League but fell in the second qualifying round to Linfield.
Immediate eliminations
Banga Gargždai started the Conference League from second qualifying round before immediately bowing out to Rosenborg, earning them €525,000.
Four clubs ended their European journey in the first qualifying round, each collecting €325,000 — the €150,000 elimination fee plus one round payment:
- Flora Tallinn (lost to Valur)
- Hegelmann (lost to St Patrick’s Athletic)
- Auda (lost to Larne)
- Daugavpils (lost to Vllaznia)
The numbers in perspective
- Still active, in Conference League PO round: RFS (€1.71m), Riga FC (€1.275m)
- Eliminated, €1m+: Levadia Tallinn (€1.335m), Kauno Žalgiris (€1.075m)
- Eliminated, ~€1m: Žalgiris Vilnius (€960k)
- Eliminated, mid-tier: Banga Gargždai (€525k)
- Eliminated, base level: Flora Tallinn, Hegelmann, Auda, Daugavpils (€325k each)
In terms of UEFA league rankings, the 2025 campaign was a bust for Lithuania, who now became the lowest ranked of the Baltic nations, overtaken by Estonia and sitting in the 45th place, having only added 1.125 to their coefficient thus matching the ‘anti-record’ of 2023. Estonia fared much better, matching their last season’s performance and securing 1.625 coefficient points.
Latvia, still teetering on the edge of the coveted ‘Top 33’ spot, which will guarantee one club in the Europa league qualifications, will be switching into defensive mode as the gap to Moldova remains large but Finland, Armenia and even Bosnia are already breathing down the neck of RFS and Riga FC on whom the fate of the nation for the next season rests.
