LONDON — Rimmel London is doubling down on female excellence in sports by teaming with Chelsea Football Club Women, one of the dominant forces in the game after an eighth domestic league title and a domestic Treble in 2024-25, for its first soccer partnership for the 2026-27 Barclays Women’s Super League season.
The Coty-owned color cosmetics brand will hold activations across Chelsea Women’s home games for all of the team’s Women’s Super League fixtures at the 40,000-seat Stamford Bridge stadium in Fulham.
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Community experiences will be staged at Chelsea Women’s home fixtures, including a pop-up at the season opener against Aston Villa Women on Sept. 5, where fans will be able to discover and sample the Match Perfection foundation. The brand will also appear pitchside via LED boards at every home game.
Player collaborations will be featured prominently across social media, with dedicated content from player partners Lucy Bronze, Lauren James and Katie McCabe, wearing various shades from the Match Perfection foundation range.
Janine Fernandes, vice president of global marketing at Rimmel London, said the partnership marked “an incredible moment” for one of the U.K.’s oldest beauty brands, which dates back to 1834.
“At Rimmel London, we believe beauty is lived, it’s not perfect. It’s about being where the culture and community is and being ready for any match. It’s about encouraging everyone to embrace their own passions, be that through sports, music, fashion, beauty or your own thrill,” she said.
She added that Chelsea FC Women “embody this spirit while pushing the game forward culturally, around the world,” and that together, the two will “champion confidence, deepen our connection and impact communities both on and off the pitch.”
Giulia Mazzia, commercial director for Chelsea Women’s Football, lauded the partnership as “a fantastic opportunity to bring together the worlds of women’s soccer and beauty, while celebrating confidence, individuality and self-expression — all key values our players embrace every day.”
The deal is an extension of Rimmel’s recent push into sports-led storytelling through partnerships, social collaborations and cultural activations that link beauty and athletic performance, despite it being part of Coty’s color cosmetics business that’s currently under review for a potential sale, spin off or partnership. Earlier this year, the brand tapped Red Bull gymnast Lily Smith to perform a balance beam routine above the New York City skyline for its mascara campaign.
The partnership also aligns with Chelsea Women’s repositioning in 2024 to sit alongside, rather than beneath, the men’s team, with dedicated commercial and management structures focused on accelerating the growth of the women’s side.
