The Ivorian government has made a major move in the English football world. Starting at the end of March 2026, the national brand "Sublime Côte d'Ivoire" will officially appear on the Chelsea FC jerseys. This strategic partnership, revealed by Africa Intelligence , will be sealed in London by the Minister of Tourism, Siandou Fofana.

A partnership marked by heritage and performance

Chelsea's choice of the "Blues" is anything but a coincidence. The London club is inextricably linked to Ivorian legend Didier Drogba and benefits from an international aura reinforced by its recent successes, notably its Club World Cup title won in July 2025 against PSG.

By partnering with one of the Premier League's most powerful franchises, Ivory Coast aims for unprecedented media exposure to attract British investors and tourists.

The sporting offensive of "Sublime Ivory Coast"

This partnership with Chelsea marks a new stage in the expansion of the national tourism program. In less than a year, Abidjan has forged numerous prestigious alliances in Europe.

1. April 2025: Partnership with Olympique de Marseille (France).
2. September 2025: Agreement with Stade Français Rugby.
3. March 2026: Signing with Chelsea FC (England).

Quantified economic ambitions

Under the leadership of Siandou Fofana, the "Sublime Côte d'Ivoire" strategy has a colossal budget of 3,200 billion CFA francs (approximately 4.9 billion euros). The objective is twofold:

1. To elevate Ivory Coast into the top 5 African destinations .
2. Increase tourism's contribution to GDP from 6.5% to 10% .

Did you know? This strategy is directly inspired by the "Visit Rwanda" model with Arsenal. To support this breakthrough in the Anglo-Saxon market, an Ivorian tourism office was even opened in London in 2024.