Chelsea’s lengthy preseason tour kicks off in Sydney on Tuesday, as the Blues face local A-League side Western Sydney Wanderers at the Accor Stadium.
Xabi Alonso thus takes charge of his first game as Blues boss, having been confirmed as Liam Rosenior‘s successor before the end of a mightily disappointing 2025–26 campaign.
Alonso won’t have a full cohort of players at his disposal here, although Sydney is set to be blessed by the nonchalant brilliance of Cole Palmer and dazzling center-forward play of João Pedro. Chelsea, despite the abundance of youth at their disposal, should cruise against last season’s A-League bottom dwellers.
The Wanderers endured a historically bad campaign last time out, and are now led by Ufuk Talay. Tuesday will be just Talay’s second match at the helm, with his first ending in a 2–0 victory over Tigers FC in the Australia Cup round of 32.
Here’s how you can watch the opening fixture of Alonso’s Chelsea tenure.
What Time Does Chelsea vs. Western Sydney Wanderers Kick Off?
Location: Sydney, England
Stadium: Accor Stadium
Date: Tuesday, July 28
Kick-off Time: 10:45 a.m. BST / 5:45 a.m. PT / 2:45 a.m. ET
How to Watch Chelsea vs. Western Sydney Wanderers on TV, Live Stream
A CFC+ subscription gifts users access to all of Chelsea’s preseason games this summer. A subscription costs £14.99 a month ($19.97) and also streams live academy matches and training sessions.
There are alternatives, though. For example, in the United States, Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo are also broadcasting the friendly.
Claro Sports is also providing coverage in Mexico.
Country TV Channel/Live Stream
United States Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo
International CFC+
Mexico Claro Sports
What’s Next for Chelsea?
Chelsea are touring Australia before heading to Asia. | Ayush Kumar/Getty Images
Chelsea are racking up some serious air miles this summer. After facing Spurs in a friendly in Sydney next Saturday, the Blues travel to Far East Asia for two games against Serie A opposition.
Hong Kong hosts their clash with Juventus on Aug. 5 before Chelsea visit Indonesia to take on AC Milan. Their last stop on the tour is Malaysia, where they’ll face Johor Darul Ta'zim.
Upon their return to west London, Alonso’s side will take on Real Sociedad a week before the 2026–27 Premier League season gets underway.
READ THE LATEST SOCCER NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC
Add us as a preferred source on Google