Wrexham's Premier League dream on hold after missing out on playoffs. Ipswich secures promotion

Wrexham's dream of reaching the Premier League is over, for this season anyway.

The Welsh club owned by Hollywood celebrities Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac missed out on a place in the playoffs in the second-tier Championship after drawing 2-2 with Middlesbrough in a dramatic final round of the regular season on Saturday.

That allowed Hull to jump ahead of Wrexham and into sixth place — the fourth and final spot in the playoffs — courtesy of a 2-1 win over Norwich in a match played at the same time. The winning goal for Hull, by Oli McBurnie in the 67th, appeared to be scored from an offside position but there are no video reviews in the English Football League.

It ends Wrexham's unprecedented run of three straight promotions under its famous owners — a streak that began by getting out of the fifth tier in the 2022-23 season and has been documented in the globally popular, Emmy Award-winning “Welcome to Wrexham” series.

Elsewhere, Ipswich secured the second automatic promotion spot behind champion Coventry — and an immediate return to the Premier League — by beating Queens Park Rangers 3-0.

Ipswich is owned by U.S. investment group Gamechanger 20 Limited and counts pop star Ed Sheeran as a minority shareholder.

Joining Hull in the playoffs, which begin next week and are over two legs, are Millwall, Southampton and Middlesbrough.

Millwall will face Hull, and Southampton will meet Middlesbrough.

Despite the last-day disappointment, it was still a memorable campaign by Wrexham in its first season in the second tier since the 1980s.

Seventh place marked the club's highest finish in its 162-year history, bettering 15th position in the second tier in the 1978–79 season.

Still, the short-term pain will be acute, and Wrexham's players sat on the ground and looked disconsolate after the final whistle — even though the Hull-Norwich match hadn't finished.

Wrexham started the day in sixth place, ahead of Hull on goal difference, and conceded in the fourth minute to Middlesbrough, only to score through Josh Windass and Sam Smith for a 2-1 lead by the 41st.

Middlesbrough hit back immediately with a 43rd-minute equalizer but Wrexham finished the stronger, squandering a string of great late chances for a winner that would have secured a playoff place on goal difference.

In the end, Wrexham finished two points behind Hull.

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

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson applauds the fans following the EFL Championship soccer match between Wrexham and Middlesbrough, in Wrexham, Wales, Saturday May 2, 2026. (Cody Froggatt/PA via AP)

Wrexham's Josh Windass reacts at the end of the EFL Championship soccer match between Wrexham and Middlesbrough, in Wrexham, Wales, Saturday May 2, 2026. (Cody Froggatt/PA via AP)

Middlesbrough's Tommy Conway, left, celebrates scoring the opening goal during the EFL Championship soccer match between Wrexham and Middlesbrough, in Wrexham, Wales, Saturday May 2, 2026. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)

Wrexham's Josh Windass, left, scores their side's first goal of the game during the EFL Championship soccer match between Wrexham and Middlesbrough, in Wrexham, Wales, Saturday May 2, 2026. (Cody Froggatt/PA via AP)

Wrexham's Josh Windass, second left, celebrates scoring his side's first goal of the game with teammates, during the EFL Championship soccer match between Wrexham and Middlesbrough, in Wrexham, Wales, Saturday May 2, 2026. (Cody Froggatt/PA via AP)

SEATTLE (AP) — All Vinnie Pasquantino needed was a few days of rest, a morning walk around Seattle and a warm, sunny day at T-Mobile Park to get back on track for the Kansas City Royals.

Pasquantino had two hits — including a solo homer — two RBIs and two runs in his return to Kansas City’s lineup against the Seattle Mariners after sitting out the previous two games because of lower back tightness. He batted third and played first base in the Royals' 7-6 win.

“I told them yesterday, I want in,” Pasquantino said. “And I’ll let them know if anything changes.”

His single to right field drove in Kansas City’s opening run in the first inning. He then belted his fourth home run of the season in the sixth off Bryan Woo on a 2-0 count, a Statcast-projected 404-foot blast into the second deck in right. It gave the Royals a 5-3 lead before Jac Caglianone followed with a solo home run to right.

Pasquantino said it has been an issue he has dealt with for a while after he was removed in the sixth inning of Tuesday’s game. He also appeared in the ninth inning and hit a game-ending flyout in Thursday’s 6-3 loss to the Athletics.

“We hope that he’s not going to have to deal with it the whole season,” manager Matt Quatraro said before Friday’s game. “But he’ll probably feel it for a handful of days before it resolves.”

But it felt good in Friday’s win.

“We’ll see how it feels in about an hour when all the adrenaline comes down,” Pasquantino said.

Pasquantino, 28, is off to a slow start this season for Kansas City, batting .176 with three doubles, 16 RBIs and 25 strikeouts in 30 games.

Kansas City Royals' Vinnie Pasquantino hits an RBI single to score Maikel Garcia against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, May 1, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)