Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney Buy Stake in Legendary Football Club After Wrexham Success

Variety reported Monday that Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have invested in Mexican soccer team Club Necaxa after their immense success with the Welsh Wrexham AFC team and accompanying FX docuseries Welcome to Wrexham.

Reynolds and McElhenney invested in Mexico’s century-old soccer team after fellow celebrity investor Eva Longoria convinced them to come into the fold. Though it’s not immediately clear what roles the Wrexham stars will play in the club’s leadership, Variety confirmed they “will work…to enhance Club Necaxa’s standing and grow its profile in international sports circles at a time of heightened TV and streaming demand for soccer content.”

Of course, that opens up the question of Club Necaxa getting the docuseries treatment in the same fashion as Wrexham AFC. However, the outlet noted that sources close to the club say it’s too early to even speculate about the idea of a series, as the team has yet to sign any such deals.

Club Necaxa’s standing is notably different than Wrexham’s was when Reynolds and McElhenney took over the team in 2020. Wrexham AFC is owned by the duo’s R.R. McReynolds Company, but their investment in Necaxa is said to be a minority stake, albeit of “significant” proportions.

While it remains unclear how much sway Reynolds and McElhenney will have over Club Necaxa moving forward, their investment is a sign of how important celebrity ambassadors have become to global sports teams. As streaming services pivot to live-streaming sports models, opportunities have proliferated for stars to invest in teams far and wide.

Club Necaxa, which is based in Aguascalientes, was founded in August 1923. Though the club has remained since its inception one of Mexico’s finest, the team hasn’t had a bonafide streak in almost 40 years, since Mexican media company Grupo Televisa purchased the team in 1988. That era saw the team rebound after decades of financial trouble and disagreements between players and management, but attendance and local interest has waned significantly throughout the 2000s.