Ryan Reynolds has a pretty successful career as an actor, but he’s taken that success and used to pursue some passion projects, including owning a soccer team. The team that Reynolds and partner Rob McElhenney purchased together is called Wrexham AFC, but it wasn’t exactly at the top of the league. Still, the team just took a major step in that direction, and the emotional moment was caught on video.
Wrexham AFC hasn’t been part of the English Football League since the team was relegated in 2008. However, next season the team will play there once again, following a 3-1 victory over Boreham Wood. When the game ended, a guest of the owners Paul Rudd caught the clip for Instagram, and it was super heartwarming.
I love this. It’s not until that last whistle that the pair fully comprehend what has just happened. They both make very similar physical movements, clearly in shock. Then they embrace and smile. You can see that McElhenny is wiping tears away. It’s absolutely incredible. And the rest of the stadium is equally losing their mind; everybody is cheering and fans are rushing the field. It’s like a Ted Lasso scene in real life.
Reynolds and McElhenny bought Wrexham AFC in 2021 and while the duo certainly could have been hands-off owners, that was clearly never their intention. The pair have invested significantly in the team in an attempt to make them more competitive. They’ve also invested in raising the team’s public profile, including making a documentary, Welcome to Wrexham. There are probably fans of the football club all over the world now thanks to the fact that everybody knows about them and their famous owners. That means that there were a lot of people cheering on this team.
And the actor is clearly in this for the long hall. Reynolds recently purchased a home in Wales, not far from the stadium where his team plays. He’s obviously expecting to spend significant time in Wales going forward, and that’s probably not just to watch games. Reynolds made a second Instagram post where he specifically sang the praises of both soccer and Wrexham.
Ryan Reynolds recently sold the mobile phone service provider he owned, Mint Mobile, to T-Mobile, and with that influx of cash, the actor is apparently looking to expand his sports holding. He’s in the running to purchase the Ottawa Senators hockey team. Reynolds obviously loves sports, and his emotional experience here will likely only increase that.
Wrexham AFC is now in the English Football League, but they’re only in League Two, the fourth, and lowest division. This means there’s still a lot more success possible for the team. Wrexham will also be playing all new teams in the league, which will make the next season more than likely a challenge.
