Chelsea FC and Circle Bring USDC Brands to the Global Game

LONDON & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 28, 2026--

Chelsea Football Club today announced a landmark partnership with Circle Internet Group, Inc. (NYSE: CRCL), one of the world’s leading internet financial platform companies. The new partnership will see Circle become a Principal Partner of Chelsea FC and Official front-of-shirt partner beginning with the 2026/27 season.

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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. By reducing the cost and friction of moving value, they can broaden participation in the global economy and unlock greater opportunity for people everywhere. Bringing USDC to one of sport’s biggest global stages reflects the scale and ambition of this opportunity.

Founded in 2013, Circle is a pioneer in digital assets and is helping build the financial system for the internet. At its center is USDC, the world’s leading regulated stablecoin 1. USDC is a trusted digital dollar that enables people and businesses to move money globally with internet speed and 24/7 availability.

In the 2026/27 season, Circle and USDC brands will appear on the front of Chelsea's Men's, Women's and Academy shirts, featuring for the first time at Chelsea FC men’s first Premier League home game of the season this Sunday against Brighton.

Jeremy Allaire, Co-Founder and CEO, 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.”

Kash Razzaghi, Chief Commercial Officer, Circle:
“This partnership represents a shared belief in where the world is headed. Chelsea connects hundreds of millions of people across every border, and USDC is digital money that moves across those same borders. USDC on the iconic Chelsea jersey shows the world what the future of global finance looks like: open, borderless, and built for everyone.”

Jason Gannon, President, Chelsea FC:
“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.”

Aki Mandhar, CEO, Chelsea FC Women:
“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.”

Todd Kline, President of Commercial, Chelsea FC:
“Circle is changing how money moves around the world, and we’re changing what it means to be a global football club. That’s real alignment, not just in values but in our shared ambition to lead on a global stage. This is more than a logo on a shirt, it represents a partner who’s building something. We’re excited to see what we can build together.”

About Chelsea Football Club
Chelsea Football Club is one of the biggest, most successful football clubs globally and our men’s team are reigning world champions, having won the four-yearly FIFA Club World Cup in 2025. Our women’s team, Chelsea Women, are also multiple trophy winners.

Founded in 1905, Chelsea is London’s most central football club, based at the iconic 40,000-capacity Stamford Bridge stadium. Nicknamed the Blues, the club lifted the Champions League for the first time in 2012 and domestically has won the Premier League five times, the FA Cup eight times, the Football League Cup five times and the Football League Championship once, in 1955.

The Chelsea Women’s team have enjoyed a huge amount of success and in 2025 won the FA Women’s Super League for a sixth consecutive year and the eighth time overall. The Women’s FA Cup has been won on six occasions. We have also captured the FA Women’s League Cup four times as well as reaching the UEFA Women’s Champions League final in 2021. In two seasons, 2020/21 and 2024/25, a domestic treble of trophies was secured.

The Chelsea Foundation boasts one of the most extensive community initiatives in sport, helping to improve the lives of children and young people all over the world.

About Circle Internet Group (Circle)
Circle (NYSE: CRCL) is one of the world’s leading internet financial platform companies, building the foundation of a more open, global economy through programmable blockchain infrastructure, digital assets, and payment applications. Circle’s platform includes the world’s largest stablecoin network anchored by USDC, Circle Payments Network for global money movement, and Arc, an enterprise-grade blockchain designed to become the Economic OS for the internet. Enterprises, financial institutions, and developers use Circle to power trusted, internet-scale financial innovation. Learn more at circle.com.

 

Chelsea FC and Circle Bring USDC Brands to the Global Game

As rescue teams continue searching for hundreds of people missing along the Nepal-China border following catastrophic floods, humanitarian organizations are mobilizing to aid survivors.

Hundreds are dead or missing after a deadly torrent of water and mud several stories high swept through communities Wednesday following a glacier collapse.

The Nepalese army has been using helicopters to rescue people because so many roads and bridges have been washed out.

Dan Hovey, vice president of emergency response at Direct Relief, which provides medicines and healthcare to disaster-struck areas, said his organization had already pre-positioned emergency supplies in Nepal for the upcoming monsoon season. That preparation has enabled Direct Relief to help quickly during these unexpected floods.

“Nepal is a very disaster-prone country,” he said. “On the disaster vulnerability indexes, it’s one of the highest – from earthquakes, floods, drought, wildfires.”

In addition to the medicines and supplies already in Nepal, Direct Relief was readying more shipments to send to Nepal Thursday, said Hovey, adding that new donations would allow the nonprofit to provide more support in the months to come.

“This is going to be a long recovery process,” Hovey said.

Responding organizations say giving cash is currently most needed to provide local agencies and nonprofits flexible funding to continue their relief efforts.

Here are some organizations aiding those on the Nepal-China border, including U.S. groups responding on the ground.

All Hands & Hearts, the disaster recovery nonprofit, says it is currently providing emergency relief in Nepal, where it has worked since 2015 and plans to continue its work of rebuilding schools and homes.

Catholic Relief Services, the international humanitarian agency, has partnered with Caritas Nepal to provide aid and social services, while also working to deploy its own teams to help relief efforts.

Global Giving, the support nonprofit, has launched the Nepal Flood Relief Fund that it hopes will raise $1.5 million to provide flexible funding for search and rescue efforts and other emergency responses, as well as infrastructure rebuilding and other recovery projects.

Humanity & Inclusion, the international victim assistance nonprofit, says it is already distributing emergency supplies and providing rehabilitation support inside local hospitals.

Save the Children, the international nonprofit, says it is already delivering cooking kits, mosquito nets and blankets to 1,000 households in the region and coordinating with national and local authorities to determine how to scale its response.

World Central Kitchen, Chef Jose Andres’ humanitarian nonprofit, says it is already feeding those in the region through its local partners. It plans to activate its distribution network to bring more food to the affected area.

Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

Damage is seen in the aftermath of flash floods in Devighat in the Nuwakot district in Nepal, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)