Circle announced on Aug. 28 that USDC and Circle branding will become Chelsea's principal front-of-shirt sponsorship across the club's men's, women's and academy teams for the 2026/27 season. According to NS3.AI, the strategy is designed to make the dollar-linked stablecoin more familiar to football fans, even if they do not immediately understand or use it. The deal also raises questions about how financial products are marketed through football sponsorships.