UEFA Suffers $55 Million Loss Due to Weakening U.S. Dollar
In a recent report released by UEFA, it was revealed that the organization incurred a significant loss of $55 million due to the fall in the value of the U.S. dollar last year. The dollar value dropped by approximately 9% against a range of foreign currencies in the first few months of 2025, a trend that economists attributed to investors’ waning confidence in the U.S. under President Donald Trump, who returned to office in January.
According to UEFA, the sudden weakening of the U.S. dollar was driven by “economic, market, and geopolitical dynamics,” leading to foreign exchange losses that impacted the organization’s accounts for the 2024-25 soccer season. The body noted that in previous years, UEFA had benefited from a strong U.S. dollar, resulting in substantial gains on foreign exchange. However, in March 2025, the tides turned, and the U.S. dollar rapidly weakened, resulting in currency exchange losses of 47 million euros, equivalent to $54.5 million.
The losses almost equaled the overall “net result” in UEFA’s latest annual accounts, which stood at minus 46.2 million euros ($53.6 million). These losses were financed from UEFA’s reserves, which were reduced to 521.8 million euros ($605 million) by the end of June, just above the 500 million euros level that UEFA aims to maintain to fund its 55 member federations and organize national team competitions.
While UEFA-organized club events like the Champions League generate billions in revenue each season, the majority of this income is paid out as prize money and does not generate profits for the organization. The revenue generated from events like the men’s European Championship helps fuel UEFA’s reserves and main funding program known as “HatTrick,” which pays members double what they receive annually from FIFA.
UEFA acknowledged that the losses incurred due to the weakening U.S. dollar were “inevitable,” as the organization needs to hold a significant U.S. dollar position to back outstanding hedge transactions. The foreign exchange result had been consistently positive for several years, but this changed in spring 2025 when the U.S. dollar suddenly weakened due to various reasons, including economic, market, and geopolitical dynamics.
Despite the disappointing outcome in asset management compared to the previous exceptional financial year, UEFA remains committed to maintaining its financial stability and supporting its member federations through challenging economic conditions.
