Chelsea will unveil their new front-of-shirt sponsor when they host Brighton in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, ending a brief spell without a principal shirt sponsor
The Blues announced on Friday that Circle Internet Group, Inc. had become the club’s new principal partner and front-of-shirt sponsor for the 2026/27 season.
The partnership will see the USDC by Circle branding displayed on the shirts of Chelsea’s men’s, women’s and academy teams, with the men’s side set to debut the new design against Brighton.
The “USDC by Circle” logo will appear in gold on Chelsea’s blue home shirt, matching the colour of the club crest, Nike logo and the Club World Cup winners’ badge retained on the kit this season.
The new agreement comes after Chelsea once again began a campaign without a permanent front-of-shirt sponsor, following the expiry of their short-term deal with British artificial intelligence company IFS at the end of last season.
The London club have become accustomed to temporary arrangements in recent seasons as they struggled to secure a long-term replacement for Three, whose sponsorship agreement ended in 2023.
Since then, Chelsea have turned to a series of short-term partnerships, including deals with Emirati property developer DAMAC and American sports data and technology company Infinite Athlete.
The latest agreement with Circle therefore marks another change in the club’s front-of-shirt sponsorship landscape, although it represents a more substantial partnership than the temporary arrangements that have featured on the kit in recent seasons.
Circle, founded in 2013 by Jeremy Allaire and Sean Neville, is a US-based financial technology company specialising in digital assets. Its USDC product is a regulated stablecoin designed to function as a digital dollar for global payments.
Announcing the partnership, Chelsea described it as a “landmark partnership”, saying the agreement reflected the growing role of stablecoins and digital financial technology.
Chelsea said, “The partnership comes at a pivotal moment for the world. Stablecoins are moving from early adoption toward the mainstream, creating an unprecedented opportunity to make money as open, accessible, and useful as the internet itself.”
The club added that the partnership would help introduce USDC to a global sports audience while reflecting Circle’s ambition to expand the use of digital assets.
Chelsea president Jason Gannon said the partnership would place the club at the forefront of football’s digital development.
“This partnership with Circle positions Chelsea at the forefront of football’s digital evolution,” Gannon said.
“We are two organisations fixated by the future and are relentlessly innovating to be in the best position possible for the long-term.”
The deal means Chelsea now have a new name across the front of their shirts as they continue their search for greater stability in their commercial partnerships after several short-term sponsorship arrangements over the past few seasons.
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