Chelsea Football Club has announced a multi-year global partnership with IFS, describing the agreement as a move to place advanced artificial intelligence at the heart of its football performance and operations.
In a statement published on its website on Friday, the Premier League side said IFS would be elevated to Principal Partner with immediate effect and would feature on the club’s front of shirt for the remainder of the 2025/26 season.
The announcement comes after Chelsea operated without a permanent principal shirt sponsor since their partnership with telecommunications company Three ended in 2023.
Under the new arrangement, IFS branding will debut on the men’s team shirts for Saturday’s Premier League clash against Burnley at Stamford Bridge.
It will also feature on the women’s team kit for Sunday’s Women’s Super League fixture against Manchester United.
The Blues had previously featured short-term front-of-shirt partners, including sports technology firm Infinite Athlete and property developer Damac.
The club said the collaboration marked the beginning of a long-term relationship aimed at embedding AI across football performance, operational excellence and fan engagement.
“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 our front of shirt for the remainder of the 2025/26 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, described as the world’s leading provider of Industrial AI software, delivers AI-driven solutions to organisations to address complex operational challenges.
Under the agreement, the company will deploy its software and AI agents at Chelsea to improve precision across the club’s operations.
Chelsea stated that the partnership would enhance performance “in almost every aspect of the club’s work”, adding that the use of AI would connect people, assets and intelligence in real time.
According to the club, the move positions it at the forefront of football’s technological evolution, sharpening its competitive edge on the pitch while improving the experience for millions of supporters globally.
The club added that embedding advanced AI into its structures reinforces its long-term ambition to set a 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.”
Chief Executive Officer of IFS, Mark Moffat, said the partnership was built on shared standards of excellence.
“In sport as in industry, the margins are small, the stakes are high, and the right decision at the right moment is everything. That’s what IFS Industrial AI delivers for the industries that power the global economy. Chelsea FC holds itself to that same uncompromising standard, and that shared ambition is exactly why we’re proud to be their Principal Partner,” Moffat said.
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