Wrexham receive lucrative $1m opportunity as Ryan Reynolds influence clear

Wrexham will send two teams to the 2024 edition of The Soccer Tournament (TST) in America – with men’s and women’s sides set to represent the club out in North Carolina.

The whirlwind rise of the north Wales outfit from a historic but unfashionable non-league club into an institution with a cult following around the world has been one of the most compelling stories in football in recent times. Since Hollywood superstars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney assumed the reins at the Racecourse Ground in 2020, their ascent to worldwide fame has been steady.

Now, it appears that the potency of Wrexham as a big name draw on the other side of the pond has been proven once more after the club was invited to take part in a $1million (£790,000) winner-takes-all event. The first professional club to enter the tournament in both the men’s and women’s draws, the Red Dragons’ foray in the competition is set to be broadcast on ESPN.

As players and staff prepare for another memorable jaunt across the Atlantic this summer, the men’s team will be hoping to improve on their showing last year where they made the Round of 16. On that occasion, an ensemble cast of first team players, legends and guests appeared including goalkeeper Mark Howard, Wrexham coach David Jones and former forward Lee Trundle.

It is expected that a similar set-up will be employed in 2024 in terms of personnel for the men’s team, with Jones assuming his role as coach once more. As for the women’s side, the team is set to make its debut at TST, with stars from their Genero Adran Premier team who took part in ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ set to be fielded with guest players.

Wrexham chief Shaun Harvey welcomed the opportunity to head stateside, saying: “We look forward to returning to The Soccer Tournament for a second year. Last year’s tournament saw the Club make its US debut, and it was a great experience to welcome supporters to watch the Wrexham Red Dragons.

“As well as seeing the team create memorable moments on the pitch, such as our ‘Target Score Time’ win in our opening game against Como 1907. We’re pleased to have the opportunity to now bring Wrexham AFC Women to The Soccer Tournament too, for their US debut, and we look forward to seeing both teams out on the pitch in June.”

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Wrexham had a successful tour of the US last summer as they took on teams including Manchester United

Likewise, TST founder and CEO Jon Mugar was delighted to welcome back the team, saying: “Wrexham’s involvement in 2023 helped put TST on the map and resulted in our event selling out. They are undoubtedly America’s team and understand the spirit of our festival as well as anyone.”

Elsewhere, the Wrexham men’s first team is set to return to the US in the summer for a glamour friendly game versus Chelsea, which will take place in Santa Clara, California. The match at Levi’s Stadium is essentially a re-match of their clash last year over in the States, which saw the Londoners emerge as 5-0 winners.

Speaking glowingly of the prospect of leading Wrexham in the US for a second time in the summer, Wrexham men’s head coach Phil Parkinson said: “We’re looking forward to returning to the United States for our summer tour, and the match at Levi’s Stadium against Chelsea promises to be an exciting and memorable occasion – as well as an important part of our pre-season preparations.

He added: “It was a great privilege to meet fans in the US last summer, and we’re excited to see more of our passionate supporters in San Francisco in July.”