Chelsea To Face JDT In Pre-Season Fixture This August At SSI

JOHOR BAHRU, May 20 (Bernama) -- English Premier League club Chelsea FC will face Malaysia Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (JDT) in a landmark football fixture this Aug 11 at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium (SSI) in Iskandar Puteri.

TEG Sport a producer and promoter of live sporting events featuring the world's biggest sporting teams and brands in a statement said, the match which will kick-off at 8 pm (MYT) will offer fans the opportunity to witness JDT take on the English club on home soil.

The fixture will serve as a crucial pre-season preparation for Chelsea FC ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, while offering JDT a monumental test against top-tier European opposition on home soil.

Chelsea FC director of football operations Pete Nuttall said the club was delighted to include the fixture against JDT as the final match of its pre-season tour and make its first visit to Malaysia since a friendly in 2013.

“Football has an incredibly passionate following across the region, and this is a fantastic opportunity for our supporters in Malaysia and across Southeast Asia to see the team in action once more ahead of the new season,” he said in the statement.

JDT chief executive officer Luis Garcia said the club was proud and honoured to host Chelsea FC, describing the occasion as a milestone for JDT and a reflection of the club’s growing stature in Asian football.

“The SSI is our fortress, and this Aug, it will become the stage for a truly unforgettable night. We look forward to the match, which is one of many more to come,” he said.

Meanwhile, TEG Sport managing director Rachael Carroll said the organiser was excited to bring Chelsea FC to Malaysia and thanked The Regent of Johor Tunku Mahkota Ismail for supporting efforts to bring the fixture to Johor and the opportunity to play at the incredible SSI.

Chelsea FC are the current FIFA Club World Cup holders and the only club to have won every major trophy in the modern era while JDT have established an era of dominance in Malaysian football, winning 12 consecutive Malaysia Super League titles alongside multiple Malaysia Cup and Malaysia FA Cup victories, as well as AFC Cup on the continental stage.

-- BERNAMA