1. UEFA Champions League

Forbes: Richest Sporting Events In The World

Sport: Soccer
Prize Money: $43.4 million
The most prestigious club soccer tournament in the world pays like it. The Spanish side Barcelona beat Manchester United for the title in 2011 behind the brilliant play of the diminutive Lionel Messi. The money is also brilliant, but not diminutive at all.

(AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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Richest Sporting... Most of the spots on Forbes' inaugural list of the sporting events with the biggest prizes are occupied by soccer tournaments. The only sports to come close is horse racing, but soccer dominates the big money, taking the top three spots on the list. To construct the list of the highest-paying sporting events in the world, Forbes focused on the prize money paid out to the winner of either a single event or a tournament. They did not include an event's total prize money or any season-long competitions that do not end in a playoff tournament, like the English Premier League.

(AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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10. ICC Cricket ... Sports: Cricket
Prize Money: $4 million
There was a time when the disgraced financier and cricket fanatic Allen Stanford hosted an even richer cricket tournament. But while Stanford sits in jail awaiting his trial for allegedly running a Ponzi scheme, the World Cup is the sport’s richest event. India won the 2011 event.

(AP Photo/Gurinder Osan)

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9. The Dubai Wor... Sport: Horse Racing
Prize Money: $6 million
The race is the brainchild of the vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is worth a cool $12 billion. This year’s winner was a Japanese horse named Victoire Pisa.

(AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

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8. The World Ser... Sport: Baseball
Prize Money: $7.9 million
The San Francisco Giants, behind stellar pitching, beat the Texas Rangers in the 2010 World Series. Even with that dough, closer Brian Wilson still apparently couldn’t afford a razor.

(AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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7. The Super Bow... Sports: Football
Prize Money: $8.5 million
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers led the Green Bay Packers to a 31-25 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to the former hometown of its namesake.

(AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

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6. World Series ... Sports: Poker
Prize Money: $8.9 million
At last year’s World Series of Poker, a 23-year-old Canadian (and college dropout) named Jonathan Duhamel won the tournament’s main event, the $10,000 Buy-In No-Limit Texas Hold 'Em. His jackpot: $8.9 million. Who needs school?

(AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

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5. UEFA Europa L... Sport: Soccer
Prize Money: $9 million
Once known as simply “the UEFA Cup,” this tournament is billed as the second most-prestigious club tournament in Europe, after the Champions League. The Portuguese side Porto won the 2011 UEFA Cup.

(AP Photo/Armando Franca)

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4. FedEx Cup Sport: Golf
Prize Money: $10 million
The four-tournament PGA Tour playoffs begin with the Barclays. The top 125 players on the Tour qualify. From there the field is eventually whittled down to 30 players, which compete in the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. The man who accumulates the most points wins the FedEx Cup--and an astounding $10 million paycheck. Jim Furyk won last year.

(AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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3. FIFA World Cu... Sport: Soccer
Prize Money: $31 million
One might think the most prestigious soccer tournament in the world--and maybe the most prestigious tournament in the world, period--would offer the most prize money. It doesn’t, but the spoils aren’t bad at all. Spain won the title in 2010.

(AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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2. UEFA European... Sport: Soccer
Prize Money: $33 million
Some claim the quality of this tournament--which features only European national teams--is on par with the World Cup. Money-wise, it’s a bit better. Spain won in 2008. The 2012 tournament will be held in Poland and the Ukraine.

(AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

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1. UEFA Champion... Sport: Soccer
Prize Money: $43.4 million
The most prestigious club soccer tournament in the world pays like it. The Spanish side Barcelona beat Manchester United for the title in 2011 behind the brilliant play of the diminutive Lionel Messi. The money is also brilliant, but not diminutive at all.

(AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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Turn Your Kids Into Millionaires
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What Makes People Powerful?

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
More on Forbes.c... To see more of the highest-paying sporting events in the world, http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mme45efhm/the-australian-open">click here.