Twentieth Century FOX Consumer Products announced on Wednesday that Chelsea will be the latest acclaimed international soccer team to join the first-of-its-kind campaign featuring a collaboration between "The Simpsons" and the most popular sport in the world, soccer. Joining Barcelona, Zenit Saint Petersburg, Corinthians, FC Porto, Juventus and Boca Juniors, Chelsea will co-create a broad line of branded merchandise that will be available to consumers in 2014. A soccer-themed episode of "The Simpsons" will air in March 2014 on FOX.

Soccer fans worldwide will be able to own a range of exclusive products with the participating club teams that feature "The Simpsons" branding. Each participating team’s merchandise will include never-before-created “Simpsonized” versions of its main roster, transformed into custom characters as part of the entire line of products.

The soccer-themed episode of "The Simpsons" will feature Homer and his recruitment as a soccer referee, after Lisa praises his integrity in a Springfield Elementary speech contest held on the youth soccer field.

Scheduled to air in March 2014, the FIFA World Cup-themed episode of "The Simpsons," entitled “You Don’t Have to Live Like a Referee,” will feature Homer and his recruitment as a FIFA World Cup referee, after Lisa praises his integrity in a Springfield Elementary speech contest held on the youth soccer field. The episode follows Springfield’s most famous family as it journeys to Brazil, only to find Homer’s honesty put to the test by one of the slickest South American gangsters in the soccer match-bribing business.

“2014 is the year of soccer with the FIFA World Cup, serving to connect fans from cities, towns and villages around the world to experience the biggest sporting event,” said Jeffrey Godsick, President, Twentieth Century FOX Consumer Products. “This is the perfect opportunity to present a line of soccer merchandise, promotions and content that will leave an indelible imprint on 'The Simpsons' fans around the world.”

About "The Simpsons"

"The Simpsons" just began airing its much-anticipated 25th season. The longest-running scripted show in television history, "The Simpsons" exploded into a cultural phenomenon in 1990 and has remained one of the most groundbreaking and innovative entertainment franchises, recognizable throughout the world. Named the “Best Show of the 20th Century” by Time Magazine, in 2013 Entertainment Weekly named "The Simpsons" the Greatest American Sitcom.

About Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products

A recognized industry leader, Twentieth Century FOX Consumer Products licenses and markets properties worldwide on behalf of Twentieth Century FOX Film Corporation, Twentieth Television and FOX Broadcasting Company, as well as third party lines. The division is aligned with Twentieth Century FOX Television, one of the top suppliers of primetime entertainment programming to the broadcast networks.