Circle has signed a principal partnership with Chelsea Football Club that will put USDC branding on the front of the club's men's, women's and academy shirts beginning with the 2026/27 season.
Key Takeaways
Circle became Chelsea FC's principal and official front of shirt partner for the 2026/27 season
USDC branding will appear across men's, women's and academy shirts
The branding makes its Premier League debut during Chelsea's home match against Brighton
The deal extends Chelsea's ties with crypto after its previous BingX sponsorship
Circle Puts USDC on Chelsea Shirts
Chelsea FC announced the agreement on Aug. 28, naming Circle Internet Group as its Official Front of Shirt Partner. Circle and its USDC stablecoin will appear across Chelsea's match shirts during the 2026/27 campaign, giving the digital dollar brand exposure through the club's men's, women's and academy teams. Circle, founded in 2013, issues USDC and operates financial infrastructure designed around stablecoin payments and settlement.
Partnering with Chelsea connects us with a global sports community built on that exact same borderless vision.
— Jeremy Allaire, Circle Co-founder and CEO
Circle Chief Commercial Officer Kash Razzaghi said Chelsea's international audience aligned with the company's focus on moving digital money across borders. For Chelsea, the agreement continues ties with digital asset companies after BingX partnered with the club in 2024. This connects to the broader stablecoin expansion covered in banks weighing stablecoins as payments competition and the Dunamu-Visa stablecoin partnership.
Chelsea Partnership Follows Circle's USDC Expansion
Circle's football sponsorship comes after a series of moves to expand USDC through banks, payment companies and digital asset platforms in 2026. Earlier in August, Circle renewed its USDC agreement with Coinbase for another three years through 2029. USDC circulation stood at $73.3 billion at the end of Q2, up 19% year-over-year, while Circle reported $701 million in quarterly revenue and reserve income. Coinbase held about 30% of circulating USDC on its platform.
On July 31, Circle secured a New York trust charter from the NYDFS for Circle New York Trust, following federal authorization from the OCC. Circle has pursued distribution through traditional payments companies outside the United States. In July, Japanese payments group JCB signed an agreement with a Circle affiliate to test USDC payments in Japan. BNY enabled institutional customers to mint, redeem, hold and transfer USDC in June, followed by Standard Chartered launching institutional USDC minting in July. This connects to the Revolut's MiCA-compliant stablecoin and broader stablecoin regulatory developments.
Chelsea Sees Circle Deal as Part of Digital Strategy
Chelsea President Jason Gannon said the club viewed its Circle partnership as part of its work around new digital technology. Chelsea FC Women CEO Aki Mandhar said the club planned to introduce Circle and USDC to its fan base as part of the agreement. The sponsorship gives Circle exposure across multiple Chelsea teams instead of limiting the arrangement to the men's first team.
Chelsea President of Commercial Todd Kline said the two organizations shared an interest in building businesses with international reach. For Circle, the shirt sponsorship moves USDC into a consumer-facing setting after much of its recent expansion centered on financial institutions and payment infrastructure. The company has spent 2026 extending USDC access through regulated financial companies and blockchain platforms.
Looking Ahead
Chelsea's men's team will wear Circle and USDC branding in a Premier League home match for the first time against Brighton on Sunday, while the sponsorship covers the club's men's, women's and academy shirts throughout the 2026/27 season. The deal represents one of the highest-profile stablecoin sponsorships in football, putting USDC in front of a global audience of millions of Premier League viewers weekly.
