On Saturday night, the Vancouver Whitecaps Major League Soccer team will host Wrexham AFC, a Welsh soccer club co-owned by actor Ryan Reynolds.
Reynolds, originally from Vancouver, purchased the club alongside fellow actor Rob McElhenney of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia in 2020.
The team had been languishing in English soccer’s fifth tier at the time but, under the new ownership, has made its way up several levels to League One, as documented in the Emmy award-winning series Welcome to Wrexham.
The Whitecaps say they are expecting 30,000 spectators at B.C. Place when the game kicks off at 4:30 p.m. PT.
Here’s what you need to know.
Who are Wrexham?
Founded in 1864, Wrexham is the oldest professional soccer club in Wales and the third oldest in the world.
Despite die-hard fans, the club fell into hard times at the beginning of the 21st century, and as the 2007-08 season came to a close, it was relegated to one of the lowest tiers of English soccer.
One year after an unexpected investment by Hollywood superstar Ryan Reynolds, a Welsh soccer team, Wrexham AFC, has racked up new sponsorships and moved up the league rankings — all while attracting international attention.
After being purchased by Reynolds and McElhenney, the team began its recovery, securing back-to-back promotions to higher levels of play and attracting international fans through the ongoing television series about its rise.
Why are they playing the Whitecaps?
Through their new owners and new fame, Wrexham have had several opportunities to play against teams in North America.
In 2023, it faced off against the Philadelphia Union II, the affiliate team for Major League Soccer’s Philadelphia Union, in McElhenney’s hometown, finishing with a 1-1 draw.
Their game against the Whitecaps is the last in a series of road games the club has had.
In a statement released in April, Reynolds said he had pushed for a game in Vancouver.
“Last year, Rob got to bring Wrexham to Philly. This year, it’s my turn,” he said. “I am so excited my hometown club the Whitecaps will get to square off against the Red Dragons,” as the club is known.
Does the game matter?
Although it won’t count toward any official standings, Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said the game will be critical in preparing his team for its upcoming season in the English Football League One.
“By then, we’ll be looking to get as near as we can to full fitness. So it’ll be interesting in terms of playing [a Major League Soccer] team, the standard,” he said in an interview with the Canadian Press in April. “Sometimes it’s difficult to judge different leagues around the world. But I’m sure it’ll be a great game for us and for them to test ourselves.”
Wrexham AFC will be in co-owner Ryan Reynolds’s hometown of Vancouver to play the Whitecaps on July 27. Manager Phil Parkinson and executive director Humphrey Ker speak about the upcoming game and what it’s like to be on a TV series — Welcome to Wrexham — about the Welsh soccer club.
For the Whitecaps, the high-profile game could be a chance to attract new fans — particularly after Argentinian football star Lionel Messi disappointed them by skipping the game when his team, Miami FC, played in the city in May.
It is also their final game before taking part in the Leagues Cup, a tournament that pits MLS teams from Canada and the United States against Liga MX, the main soccer league in Mexico.
The team then has 10 more regular-season games before heading into the playoffs (Vancouver is currently ranked 5 of 14 in MLS’s western conference).
Will Ryan Reynolds be there?
The question of whether Reynolds himself would attend seemed to be answered on Friday when the star posted on Instagram, “In Vancouver to watch @wrexham_afc play tomorrow.”
He also posted a video promoting his new movie Deadpool & Wolverine, which he premiered earlier this week in Toronto, speaking to CBC News about the movie’s Canadian identity.
“They’re Canadian,” he said, referring to the fact the characters of both Deadpool and Wolverine are originally from Canada, according to comic book lore.
“They’re Canadian characters! What an opportunity to have two hugely iconic superheroes enter the MCU and do it draped in maple syrup.”
In his post to Instagram this week, he said how pleased he was to see people come together to enjoy both movies and sports, a reminder that “none of us are alone.”
Whether fans will have a chance to meet Reynolds is unknown: The Whitecaps said the pre-game party will begin at Robson and Beatty at 1:30 p.m. PT, and fans interested in getting photographs and autographs from players should arrive by 2.
As for who Reynolds will be cheering for on Saturday?
“My official stance on the match will be a very friendly ‘neutral’ even if I will be screaming for a Paul Mullin hat trick,” he said in his April statement, referring to Wrexham’s star forward.