On Saturday, Wrexham AFC — the English soccer club owned by Hollywood superstar Ryan Reynolds — took another major leap closer to possibly landing in the Premier League.
Sure, elite leagues like the EPL, LaLiga, Liga MX, and MLS get most of the attention around the soccer world, but there are hundreds of other teams in leagues just below those hoping to one day make it to the big time. It is what makes soccer different than other sports where not just players can work their way up to top leagues, but so can entire franchises.
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That is why Wrexham has become one of the most fascinating stories in the sport. The team that actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney purchased back in 2020 is one of the oldest in the world and has a long history in Wales. However, it fell on hard times over the last two decades and slipped toward the bottom of the various tiers in English football.
While they were the focus of docuseries for Hulu, they have also seen a huge resurgence on the field from the addition of the two new owners and are in the midst of a shocking turnaround. After two straight strong seasons and a National League title, they were promoted to League Two in 2023. A major moment for the long-struggling club.
Well, the good times continue to roll, and after a 6-0 win over Forest Green on Saturday Wrexham has earned a promotion for the second straight year. They will now play in League One next season. The big question for casual soccer fans will be, does this mean the Welsh team will be in England’s top soccer league, the Premier League, next season?
How close is Wrexham to being in the Premier League?
The short answer to “Is Wrexham in the Premier League” is no. However, their win on Saturday was a massive step in making that unlikely dream a reality in the next few years.
The English Football League is broken into seven different levels that feature well over 100 different teams that could be promoted or demoted each year. The lowest level features the Northern and Southern Premier Divisions as well as the Southern Premier Central and Isthmian League. Above that is the National League North and South, followed by the National League, League Two, League One, the Championship League, and then the Premier League.
This weekend Wrexham was able to earn a promotion to League One, which means they are only two more promotions away from playing in one of the most popular and prestigious soccer leagues on earth. It is quite impressive for a club that was just playing in the National League two years ago.
Three teams per season can be promoted up to the Championship and Premier Leagues.
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