Wrexham’s Historic Promotion Stirs Claims of Rivaling MLS in Boosting Soccer’s Popularity Across America

Ever since Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took over at Wrexham, it went from being an oblivious and ailing Welsh club to an epitome of success on and off the field. Courtesy of a top-three finish in the EFL League Two table, the Welsh side got promoted to EFL League One. This was the first time the club achieved a second consecutive promotion in its 159-year history. Meanwhile, the docuseries Welcome to Wrexham which revolves around the club’s Hollywood takeover continued to boost its popularity off the field. Now, certain analysts believe Wrexham’s success stories are doing more than Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez to popularize soccer in the US.

Wrexham’s consecutive promotion became the talking point in the latest episode of CBS Sports Golazo’s ‘Morning Footy.’ The show’s co-host Susannah Collins started lauding Wrexham and its Hollywood owners. A small mining town in Wales has become a go-to destination for soccer because of them, Collins said. Co-host Alexis Guerreros intervened and gave his two cents on the Red Dragons’ rising popularity in the US. “Wrexham and their TV show and their rise up the ranks is doing as much for soccer in America as probably the MLS is doing right now,” said Alexis Guerreros.

Meanwhile, CBS host and former USMNT star Charlie Davis joked he wanted to drink in the ‘Turf Pub’ in Wrexham. The likes of the Turf Pub have become a household name in the US after it featured in Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s show Welcome to Wrexham. Thereafter, Collins again lauded Rob and Ryan’s TV show for detailing how the Welsh club brings together a closely-knit working-class community. While one can’t prove if Wrexham is doing a better job than the MLS, it definitely attracts as big a crowd as the Major League clubs do in the US.

Wrexham’s blockbuster 2023 tour is a testament to its mammoth fame in the US

Last year, Wrexham met English giants Chelsea in Chapel Hill, North Carolina as a part of its US tour. The game was an instant sell-out. Thanks to soaring demand, tickets for Wrexham’s game against Manchester United in San Diego were priced in the same bracket as that of a Real Madrid-Barcelona game in the US. Besides, the price for a standing-room ticket for the Wrexham-LA Galaxy II game was higher than that of an LA Dodgers game. Furthermore, these ticket prices also surpassed the money one would have to shell out to watch an MLS team play.

Besides the team’s success and their TV show, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are popularizing the Red Dragons in the US with adventures like their Las Vegas trip. Last year, Rob and Ryan rewarded Wrexham stars for getting promoted by throwing an exorbitant party in Vegas. Now that the team has risen through the ranks again, the Hollywood duo might have another eventful American tour in the pipeline for the Dragons’ players.