Ryan Reynolds is a lot of things — actor, producer, everyone’s favorite Deadpool, and one of People‘s Sexiest Men Alive. What some people might not know is that he is also the owner of a soccer (it’s actually called football) club. In February 2021, the actor and long-time friend and colleague Rob McElhenney of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia fame bought Wrexham A.F.C., a Welsh football club that is also the oldest in the country and third oldest in the world.
When the duo bought the club, Wrexham had just experienced its poorest performance ever in the National League (the English football league system’s fifth level). In just two seasons, the club went on to win its first league title in 45 years, advancing to the next level of the system, known as the EFL League Two, for the first time in 15 years.
Reynolds and McElhenney’s fame and monetary power, as well as the popularity of the docu-series they created about the club — called Welcome to Wrexham, and streaming on Disney Plus — completely revolutionized a faded club as its fanbase grew internationally.
Writer, actor, a friend of the co-chairmen, and now the executive director of the club, Humphrey Ker, said McElhenney was looking for a club with a loyal fanbase to invest in and that Wrexham “just jumped to the top of the pile.” As for Reynolds, he was just excited by the business side of it all. The acting duo is said to be very hands-on at the club, reportedly “never out of the dressing room,” and always in contact with the players.
