On August 28, 2026, Chelsea Football Club announced a new front-of-shirt sponsorship deal that will last a year. This comes after a partnership with Circle Internet Group (CRCL), one of the world’s leading internet financial platform companies. In this new agreement, Circle will become the official front-of-shirt partner beginning the 2026/27 football season. This means that Chelsea FC will put Circle and USDC brands on men’s, women’s and Academy shirts from the beginning of the new season.
Speaking during the announcing of the partnership, Aki Mandhar, the CEO of Chelsea FC Women, said, “We are excited to introduce Circle and USDC to the Chelsea Women family for our inaugural season at Stamford Bridge. Forging and facilitating connections between people is what Chelsea Women and Circle do best, and we look forward to bringing USDC to the CFCW fanbase and beyond.”
This partnership comes at a very crucial moment when the world is witnessing a significant rise in adoption of stablecoins. By bringing USDC to one of the sport’s biggest global stages, it means making stablecoins open, accessible, and very useful, as stated by the Co-Founder and CEO of Circle: “We built USDC on the belief that money should work seamlessly for everyone everywhere, the way the internet does. Partnering with Chelsea connects us with a global sports community built on that exact same borderless vision.”
This partnership can significantly reduce the cost and friction of moving value, as they can broaden participation in the global economy and unlock opportunity for people everywhere. By partnering with Circle and bringing USDC to one of the biggest global stages, it reflects Chelsea FC’s scale and ambition for this opportunity.
“This partnership with Circle positions Chelsea at the forefront of football’s digital evolution. We are two organisations fixated by the future and are relentlessly innovating to be in the best position possible for the long term. We look forward to beginning our journey with Circle to introduce Circle to the Chelsea family and continue enhancing how we operate,” said Jason Gannon, the president of Chelsea FC.
Read Also: Supplier launches with trusted Canadian operator, extending partnership beyond Ontario
Chelsea is one of the biggest, most successful football clubs, based in Fulham, West London, England. This club competes in the Premier League, a top English football competition. In domestic football, this club has won top-flight league titles, eight FA Cups, five League Cups, four FA Community Shields, and two Full Member Cups. In international competitions, Chelsea boasts wins in two UEFA Champions Leagues, two UEFA Europa Leagues and more. Their women’s team is also enjoying a huge amount of success, including the 2021 UEFA Women’s Champions League and 2025 FA Women’s FA Cup.
Circle (CRCL), on the other hand, is one of the world’s leading internet financial platform companies that have built a foundation in the global economy through programmable blockchain infrastructure, digital assets, and payment applications. It is the world’s largest stablecoin network, mainly anchored by USDC and Circle Payment Networks for global money movement. In the global market, the enterprise, financial institutions, and developers use Circle to power trusted internet-scale financial innovation.
A partnership with these two organisations, therefore, is a real alignment not just in values but in shared ambition to lead the global stage. It is more than a logo on a shirt but represents a partnership in building something together.
