Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney would both prefer to sign Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo, the Wrexham owners have revealed.
Messi and Ronaldo have defined the past two decades in world football, each breaking records and pushing one another to new heights. But now the pair are in the twilights of their respective incredible careers, with Mirror Football exclusively reporting last week that Messi is set to leave current club Paris Saint-Germain in the summer transfer window.
Although the Argentine icon won't be short of suitors, Wrexham owners Reynolds and McElhenney could try their luck and make a cheeky offer. Following the Welsh club's spectacular promotion back into the Football League on Saturday, ending a 15-year absence, their answer to the age-old question of who they'd rather have in their team has emerged.
"Messi," American actor McElhenney firmly told Sports Illustrated in 2022. "I like his size," he hilariously replied when asked why. Fellow co-owner Reynolds agreed, with the Canadian adding: "I was going to say the same thing."
Reynolds, though, made sure to note: "I do not sleep on Ronaldo. They're both unbelievable athletes. But I think I'd also take Messi. Gareth Bale wasn't an option, no?"
For much of the last 20 years, Messi and Ronaldo have been constantly compared, with little to separate them thanks to their long list of accolades and achievements. Portuguese superstar Ronaldo, three years older than his eternal rival at 38, now plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, having left Manchester United in November following a fallout with the club hierarchy.
Have your say! Who'd suit Wrexham best - Messi or Ronaldo? Let us know your take in the comments section.
But would either of them be tempted to sign for Wrexham, who've stole the hearts of thousands around the world, much thanks to Reynolds and McElhenney's work since February 2021? Perhaps not, but it won't stop the two Hollywood stars from being ambitious.
It's estimated that Reynolds and McElhenney have already pumped more than £10million into the club. Executive Humphrey Ker - an English actor - revealed following Saturday's triumph as Wrexham won the National League title that the club aren't 'losing sleep' over their financial outlay, having attracted major sponsors such as social media platform TikTok and travel company Expedia.
"We actually generate an extraordinary amount of revenue because of the interest in the team, merchandising, and other things," Ker told BBC Wales. "We're not losing too much sleep about that (spending caps). I think we'll fall well within the boundaries of what we are permitted to spend."
He added: "The interest in this club is astronomical and we believe that the squad that we have right now, we have a very strong chance of going up again next year. It gets more challenging the further up the pyramid we go, but we have real faith and confidence in the people we've got in the football club to take us in the right direction."
