Chelsea reveal new front-of-shirt sponsor as multi-year deal confirmed | OneFootball

Blues have been without a principal sponsor so far this season

Chelsea have finally secured a front-of-shirt sponsor for the remainder of the 2025-26 season.

Standard Sport understands the front-of-shirt sponsorship will make its debut on Chelsea’s kits this weekend for the men’s match against Burnley on Saturday and the women’s fixture against Manchester United on Sunday.

The deal follows a long wait to secure front-of-shirt sponsorship which has lasted more than half of the season. Chelsea have been playing without a front-of-shirt sponsor in that time, and it is not the first time the club have played without a lead sponsor under its current BlueCo owners.

The IFS logo as seen on the rear wing of Cadillac F1’s car for the 2026 season

Getty Images

The delay in securing a front-of-shirt sponsor is partly explained by the club’s desire to ensure the eventual sponsor was the appropriate financial deal for the club but it has seen the club’s corporate leadership criticised externally.

Chelsea say the agreement with IFS is in line with the club’s “long-term ambition to set the benchmark for performance and innovation in global sport”.

Mark Moffat, the CEO of IFS, described Chelsea as holding themselves “to that same uncompromising standard” as the AI firm and added: “we’re proud to be their principal partner.”

The IFS logo will adorn Chelsea shirts until the end of the 2025/26 season and beyond

Getty, X/ifs

IFS was founded in 1983 in Sweden and has since grown to employ more than 7,000 people, and also sponsor both the Cadillac Formula One and the Sri Lanka national cricket teams.

A statement from Chelsea read: “Chelsea Football Club today announces a multi-year global partnership with IFS, the world's leading provider of Industrial AI. As part of this commitment, IFS will be elevated to Principal Partner with immediate effect, featuring on Chelsea's front of shirt for the remainder of the 25/26 season — marking the beginning of a long-term collaboration that places advanced AI at the heart of football performance, operational excellence and fan engagement.

“IFS, the world’s leading provider of Industrial AI software, enables organisations to deliver tangible results with AI by solving complex, real-world operational problems. The partnership will see IFS bring its software and market-leading AI agents to Chelsea to drive precision across the club’s operations, enhancing performance in almost every aspect of the club’s work.

“This partnership positions Chelsea at the forefront of football’s technological evolution. By harnessing the power of IFS AI to connect people, assets and intelligence in real time, the club is sharpening its competitive edge on the pitch while elevating the experience for millions of fans worldwide.”

The statement continued: “For Chelsea, this agreement signals an intent to lead from the front — not only on the pitch, but in how elite clubs are built and operated. By embedding advanced AI into its foundations, the club is reinforcing its long-term ambition to set the benchmark for performance and innovation in global sport.”

Chelsea president Jason Gannon said: “We are incredibly proud to partner with IFS and leverage their leading edge AI software to help propel the club to even greater success.

“This partnership is a statement of intent to keep leading in this field, harnessing the opportunities advanced technology brings and unlocking the power of AI to improve everything we do on and off the pitch.”