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Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney Buy Welsh Soccer Club Wrexham AFC

Actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are the new owners of Welsh soccer club Wrexham AFC.

Jenna West

Actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are the new owners of Welsh soccer club Wrexham AFC.

Club supporters approved the sale on Sunday, and the two Hollywood stars will own 100% of the team. Reynolds and McElhenney have agreed to pay $2.6 million to invest in the team and plan to increase its profile. According to Sports Business Daily, the deal is expected to close in the next two months.

"We would like to wish them the very best of luck in charge of our football club and look forward to what the future brings," the board of Wrexham Supporters Trust said in a statement.

Wrexham competes in the fifth tier of British soccer, and its stadium, the Racecourse Ground, is the oldest soccer field to still hold international games. The club has been fan-owned since 2011, and more than 98% of the members of its supporters trust cast votes to approve the sale. 

McElhenney and Reynolds first engaged in talks with the club in early 2019. In September, Wrexham revealed that the actors were the "two extremely well-known individuals" it had previously said were interested in investing in the team. Members of the supporters trust voted that month in favor of allowing talks to start with the duo.

Reynolds is a Canadian-born actor best known for starring in the Deadpool movies. McElhenney, a friend of Reynolds, is an American actor and director who was the creator of the TV show It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Jenna West
JENNA WEST

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