Saudi Cup - Eyes on the prize: The world’s richest sports events

With a purse of $20 million, the Saudi Cup which takes place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, will become the richest horse race in the world. The winners will claim $10 million, with horses down to 10th place earning a diminishing share of the remaining $10 million. It will overtake the $12 million Dubai World Cup which is held at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. There are many lavish races run around the world including the $10 million Everest in Australia, the Breeders’ Cup Classic ($6 million) in America, and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe ($5.6 million) in France. But what do other sports offer in terms of prize money. A lot, lot more!

The biggest prize ever paid out in sport was in boxing. American boxer Floyd Mayweather enjoyed the biggest payday of his career in 2017 when he fought UFC legend Conor McGregor in a super-fight in August 2017. The booty on offer? A mere $250 million!

Europe’s biggest regional football tournament, the Uefa Champions League has a total prize fund of €1.1 billion with the winning team pocketing in excess of €15 million in prize money.

Formula One is probably the most expensive sport to compete in, but’s it purse goes a long way to compensating its teams. The over pool is estimate to be around $700 million which is distributed over each of its races each season.

Baseball’s World Series scores high on the list with a prize pool in excess of $66 million with $22 million-plus going to the winner.

Wimbledon was once at the summit of world tennis with prize money close to $49.4 million but has been marginally eclipsed by the US Open who in 2019 paid out $50.6 million.

Golf has its four Majors, but it’s the FedEx Cup that offers the biggest total purse of $35 million plus, with the winner walking away with over $10 million.

The Dubai World Cup meeting at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai offers a total purse of $35 million for its nine races, which culminate in the $12 million Dubai World Cup.

The Super Bowl is one of the most famous and most watched sport’s event in the United States with the winners’s being paid $11 million.

The ICC Cricket World Cup has a global following although it is essentially played by 10 teams. The last edition which was played in England and Wales, offered an increased prize fund of $10.25 million with the winner taking home $4 million.