Chelsea confirmed a 27-man pre-season squad for their Australia tour this week, but World Cup call-ups have thinned the roster. The depleted lineup puts the club's crypto sponsorship with BingX at a crossroads.
A Depleted Roster for Australia
The Blues named their traveling party on Wednesday, but several first-team regulars are missing. International duty for World Cup qualifiers has pulled away stars, leaving manager Enzo Maresca with a younger, less experienced group. The tour, which includes friendlies against local A-League sides, was meant to build momentum ahead of the Premier League season. Instead, it's become a test of depth.
Chelsea's squad list shows only 27 players, down from the usual 30-plus for a major tour. The absences are notable: key attackers and midfielders are away with their national teams. That means less star power on the pitch in Sydney and Melbourne.
The BingX Partnership in Focus
BingX, a crypto exchange, signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with Chelsea last year. The partnership includes branding on training kits, digital content, and fan engagement activations. The Australia tour was a key part of that — a chance to showcase the brand to a new audience.
But with a thinner squad, the exposure changes. Fewer household names means less media attention. The timing isn't great for BingX, which has been pushing into sports sponsorships to build mainstream credibility. Chelsea's pre-season tour was supposed to be a highlight of that strategy.
The club hasn't commented on whether the call-ups affect the sponsorship terms. But the article suggests the deal is at a crossroads. If the tour generates less buzz, the value of the partnership could come under question.
This isn't the first time a crypto sponsorship has faced headwinds. The sector has seen deals renegotiated or dropped as market conditions shift. Chelsea's own partnership with BingX was announced during a bull run; now the landscape is different.
The tour kicks off next week. All eyes will be on how the reduced star power impacts the sponsorship's visibility — and whether BingX sticks with the deal long-term.
