Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s Soccer Team Promoted to the English Football League – Over the weekend, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney achieved a significant accomplishment as their recently acquired Welsh soccer team successfully earned promotion to the English Football League. The Wrexham Association Football club, which they purchased in 2021, secured the promotion by winning against Boreham Wood with a score of 3-1.
“Everything I own smells like champagne, beer and grass. I’m still somewhere between giggling and sobbing. This town and this sport is one of the most romantic things on earth. Thank you, @wrexham_afc,” Reynolds shared on Twitter. In addition, the post showcased Reynolds and McElhenney holding the trophy jointly, while the fans in the stands rejoiced the significant victory.
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A video captured by actor Paul Rudd, which was shared by the “Deadpool” actor, showcased Reynolds and McElhenney embracing each other while watching the triumphant moment, with fans flooding onto the field. Following the win, Oscar-winning actor Anthony Hopkins, who hails from Wales, took to Twitter to commend Reynolds, stating, “You’re now an honorary Welsh boy.” Reynolds responded to the tweet with a shocked emoji and a grateful “thank you.”
In 2022, the acquisition of the team by the actors became the primary focus of the FX docuseries “Welcome to Wrexham.” The show depicted the team’s struggles before being taken over by Reynolds and McElhenney, and their subsequent efforts to revive the team under the new management. Following the success of the first season, the series is scheduled to return for a second season.
After more than a decade of being relegated to lower leagues within the UK’s professional soccer system, Wrexham has finally earned promotion to the English Football League. As per The Sporting News, the promotion places them in League Two, which is a step up from their prior position in the fifth division of English football, which primarily consists of semi-professional teams with limited budgets.
This victory sets the team on a path towards climbing up the soccer hierarchy and reaching the upper echelons of the system, including the esteemed Premier League, where they would join the likes of renowned clubs such as Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, and several others. “One thing that is running through my head over and over again,” Reynolds said in an interview with Fortune about the win, “is that people said at the beginning, ’Why Wrexham, why Wrexham?’ This is exactly why Wrexham.”
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“We can feel what it means to the town,” McElhenney told the outlet on the field. “This is a moment of catharsis for them and celebration. For us to be welcomed into the community, and to be welcomed into this experience, has been the honor of my life.” Situated near the northwest border of England and Wales, Wrexham is an industrial town with a population of around 65,000.
Wrexham, a Welsh team, will compete in England’s fourth division, League Two, next season after being promoted from the lower leagues, NBC News reports. The Wrexham Red Dragons, founded in 1864, hold the distinction of being the third-oldest football club in the world. Following the victory, the fans erupted into celebratory chants of “We’re going up!” while leaving Reynolds astonished. “I’m not sure I can actually process what happened tonight,” Reynolds expressed. “I’m still a little speechless.”