How Wrexham surged from obscurity to within sight of the Premier League

A dream of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney as they finalized their out-of-the-blue takeover of Wrexham in 2021 was to lead the long-suffering club to the Premier League.

It seemed pie-in-the-sky thinking, but they are almost there.

Make that three straight promotions for the Welsh team with a cult following after a 3-0 win over Charlton on Saturday secured a place in the second-tier Championship.

Here's a look at the rise of Wrexham, once a down-on-its-luck, financially ravaged, fan-owned club that has been thrust into the limelight in remarkable fashion:

It seemed like a joke. Did two Hollywood celebrities really want to buy a soccer club from a long-overlooked Welsh city of 45,000 people that was languishing in the fifth tier of the English game?

Well, Reynolds — the star of the “Deadpool” movies — and McElhenney — an American actor, director and creator of TV show “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia" — were deadly serious.

After convincing supporters of their motives on a Zoom call by outlining their vision to make the team a “global force," they went and bought Wrexham for $2.5 million.

A remarkable journey began.

The first task for Wrexham was getting out of the National League — the level below England's four professional divisions and where the club had been residing since 2008.

It didn't come easy.

For the first full season under the celebrity owners, Wrexham hired a new manager — Phil Parkinson, who had good experience in the lower leagues — and was soon spending much more than its rivals, on players such as prolific striker Paul Mullin. Wrexham finished in second place in the National League, missing out on the one automatic promotion spot, and lost in the playoff semifinals to Grimsby.

That wasn't the end of the late-season heartache. Wrexham also lost in the final of the FA Trophy — a competition for non-league teams — at Wembley Stadium, in front of Reynolds and McElhenney.

However, the following season and after a to-and-fro battle with Notts County, Wrexham got the job done and was promoted as fifth-tier champion with a record points total. The path to promotion was cleared by a 3-2 win over Notts County featuring a last-minute penalty save by Ben Foster, a former Manchester United goalkeeper who came out of retirement at age 40 on a short-term basis.

“I will never be the same again,” a breathless Reynolds said

“Welcome to Wrexham” — the Emmy award-winning TV series created to chronicle the A-list owners’ first foray into soccer ownership — was up to Season 2 and would get the Hollywood ending the first season failed to deliver.

How would Wrexham cope, then, back in the English Football League after a 15-year absence?

Pretty well, it turned out.

After a postseason trip to Las Vegas, the squad was enhanced by former Premier League players like Steven Fletcher, the attendance at the rocking Racecourse Ground was boosted to more than 12,000 — with the promise of a higher capacity before too long — and more sponsors were brought in. Big ones, too, like United Airlines, Betty Buzz and Aviation American Gin.

Parkinson delivered again as Wrexham took League Two by storm, achieving promotion at the first attempt. A 6-0 win over Forest Green ensured Wrexham was going up — and another pitch invasion by jubilant fans — as the team finished the season in second place behind Stockport County.

For the first time in its 159-year history, Wrexham earned promotion in two consecutive seasons.

Optimism and aspiration was suddenly rife, on and off the field, in a much-changed city that quickly became something of a tourist destination.

The team earned record turnover, and was valued at nine million pounds ($11.8 million) by a board member ahead of the start of a first season in the third-tier League One in nearly two decades. It'll be much more than that now.

Wrexham didn't even need Mullin, its top scorer for the previous three seasons, to launch an unlikely promotion challenge that never really wavered and captured growing attention on both sides of the Atlantic.

Boosted by the midseason signings of some strikers, including Sam Smith, Wrexham held off Wycombe to secure a second-place finish behind Birmingham and a return to the second tier for the first time since 1982.

Reynolds was there for the clinching victory over Charlton on Saturday, pulling pints ahead of the game in The Turf pub that's connected to the ground and then celebrating wildly after the final whistle.

Maybe the Premier League.

First of all, however, comes the not-so-easy task of overcoming a bunch of big-name clubs in the Championship, many of whom have recently been in the top flight — like Ipswich, Southampton, Leicester, West Bromwich Albion and Norwich. There's also Birmingham, which counts NFL great Tom Brady as a minority owner.

Wrexham executive Humphrey Ker has already acknowledged the club might have to quadruple its current wage bill — a reported 11 million pounds ($14.65 million) — to survive a grueling league. Ker seems sure Reynolds and McElhenney will dig into their pockets once again, no doubt fueled by the ongoing success of “Welcome to Wrexham.”

The renovation of Wrexham's once-imposing Kop stand should also be finished by the end of next season, in time for the Racecourse to potentially host qualifying matches for international tournaments for Wales’ men’s national team.

Expect the caliber of players turning out at the stadium to improve, too.

Jamie Vardy, anyone?

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds walks on the field before the English League One soccer match between Wrexham and Charlton Athletic at the Racecourse ground in Wrexham, Wales, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds, left, and Rob McElhenney, right, speak before the English League One soccer match between Wrexham and Charlton Athletic at the Racecourse ground in Wrexham, Wales, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Wrexham fans watch the English League One soccer match between Wrexham and Charlton Athletic at the Racecourse ground in Wrexham, Wales, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Wrexham co-owners Rob McElhenney, left, and Ryan Reynolds, second left, react during the English League One soccer match between Wrexham and Charlton Athletic at the Racecourse ground in Wrexham, Wales, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds, top left, kisses his wife Blake Lively after Wrexham scored their first goal English League One soccer match between Wrexham and Charlton Athletic at the Racecourse ground in Wrexham, Wales, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

Wrexham fans watch the English League One soccer match between Wrexham and Charlton Athletic at the Racecourse ground in Wrexham, Wales, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Wrexham's Manager Phil Parkinson reacts during the English League One soccer match between Wrexham and Charlton Athletic at the Racecourse ground in Wrexham, Wales, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds, center, and Rob McElhenney celebrate at the end of the English League One soccer match between Wrexham and Charlton Athletic at the Racecourse ground in Wrexham, Wales, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Wrexham players celebrate with fans as they win the English League One soccer match between Wrexham and Charlton Athletic at the Racecourse ground in Wrexham, Wales, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Wrexham players celebrate as they win the English League One soccer match between Wrexham and Charlton Athletic at the Racecourse ground in Wrexham, Wales, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Auckland was the first major city to ring in 2026 with a fireworks display launched from New Zealand’s tallest structure, Sky Tower, followed by a defiant celebration in Australia in the aftermath of its worst mass shooting.

South Pacific countries were the first to bid farewell to 2025. Clocks stuck midnight in Auckland 18 hours before the famous ball drop in New York’s Times Square. The five-minute display involved 3,500 fireworks.

Australia’s east coast welcomed 2026 two hours after New Zealand. In Sydney, the country's largest city, celebrations were held under the pall of Australia’s worst mass shooting in almost 30 years. Two gunmen targeted a Hannukah celebration at Bondi Beach on Dec. 14, killing 15 and wounding 40.

A heavy police presence monitored the thousands who thronged to the waterfront to watch a fireworks show centered on the Sydney Harbor Bridge. Many officers openly carried rapid-fire rifles, a first for the annual event.

An hour before midnight, the massacre victims were commemorated with a minute of silence while images of a menorah were projected on the bridge pylons. The crowd was invited to show solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns urged Sydney residents not to stay away through fear, saying extremists would interpret smaller crowds at New Year’s Eve festivities as a victory.

“We have to show defiance in the face of this terrible crime and say that we’re not going to be cowered by this kind of terrorism,” he said.

In Indonesia, one of Australia’s nearest neighbors, cities scaled back festivities as a gesture of solidarity with communities devastated by floods and landslides that struck parts of Sumatra island a month ago, claiming more than 1,100 lives.

The capital, Jakarta, was not ringing in 2026 with its usual fanfare, choosing subdued celebrations with a program centered on prayers for victims, city Gov. Pramono Anung said last week.

Makassar Mayor Munafri Arifuddin urged residents of one of Indonesia’s largest cities to forgo parties, calling for prayer and reflection. "Empathy and restraint are more meaningful than fireworks and crowds,” he said.

Concerts and fireworks on Indonesia’s tourist island of Bali were canceled and replaced with a cultural arts event featuring traditional dances.

Hong Kong, too, was ringing in 2026 without the usual spectacle in the sky over iconic Victoria Harbor, after a massive fire in November killed at least 161 people.

The facades of eight landmarks were turning into giant countdown clocks presenting a three-minute light show at midnight.

Many parts of Asia welcome the new year by observing age-old traditions.

In Japan, crowds were gathering at a Buddhist temple in Tokyo for a bell striking at midnight. In the South Korean capital, Seoul, a bell tolling and countdown ceremony were being held at the Bosingak Pavilion.

Tourists and Berliners alike marked the end of 2025 by enjoying snowfall, taking selfies and making snowmen in front of the German capital's cathedral and the iconic Brandenburg Gate. The Berlin TV Tower was nearly invisible thanks to the falling flakes and fog.

Greece and Cyprus were ringing in 2026 by turning down the volume, replacing traditional fireworks with low-noise pyrotechnics, light shows and drone displays in capital cities. Low-noise fireworks avoid the explosive bursts that generate the loud cracks of traditional displays.

Officials in the countries said the change is intended to make celebrations more welcoming for children and pets, particularly animals sensitive to loud noise.

Police in New York City will have additional anti-terrorism measures at the Times Square ball drop, with “mobile screening teams” in search of suspicious activity. It is not in response to a specific threat, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

After the ball drops in Times Square, it will rise once again, sparking in red, white and blue, to mark the country’s upcoming 250th birthday celebration. It will be one of several patriotic flourishes throughout the night, organizers said.

Zohran Mamdani will take office as mayor at the start of 2026. Two swearing-in ceremonies are planned, starting with a private ceremonial event around midnight in an old subway station.

Saaliq reported from New Delhi, India. Associated Press writers around the world contributed to this report.

The police stand guard during the 2026 Taipei New Year's Party celebration in front of the Taipei City Government Building in Taipei, Taiwan, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

People gather to celebrate the New Year at the Zojoji Buddhist temple, on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025 in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

A Buddhist prays in front of lanterns on New Year's Eve at the Jogye temple in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Fireworks burst over the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the New Year celebrations in Sydney, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Swimmers enter the water during the traditional Sylvester swim at lake Moossee in Moosseedorf, Switzerland, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (Anthony Anex/Keystone via AP)

A child poses for a photo with a prosperity decoration to welcome 2026 Year of the Horse, following the Chinese zodiac at a shopping district on new year's eve, in Beijing, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

A person walks by illuminated decorations on New Year's Eve in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Fireworks burst over the Sydney Harbour Bridge as New Year's celebrations begin in Sydney, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Fireworks burst over the Sydney Harbour Bridge as New Year's celebrations begin in Sydney, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Ryan Seacrest and Rita Ora, hosts of "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2026," in New York at the New Year's Eve Times Square Ball on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)

A vendor sells New Year's eve party goods at a market in downtown Lima, Peru, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Guadalupe Pardo)

A families pose for a photo with a prosperity decoration to welcome 2026 Year of the Horse, following the Chinese zodiac as people visit a shopping district on new year's eve, in Beijing, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

A child poses for a photo with a prosperity decoration to welcome 2026 Year of the Horse, following the Chinese zodiac at a shopping district on new year's eve, in Beijing, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)