15 Photos Of Ryan Reynolds & Wrexham Football Club Meeting King Charles

Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, co-owners of Wrexham FC since 2021, were treated to a couple of royal guests on Dec. 9.

King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla met them at the Wrexham Association Football Club in Wrexham, Wales, to chat about the redevelopment of Racehorse Ground stadium.

Founded in 1864, Wrexham FC is the third-oldest professional football club in the world. They also boast an incredible fan base in Wrexham, which is a working-class town.

When asked about why Reynolds purchased the team, he said: “You take a deeper dive into Wrexham, and you see how invested the community are in the club,” adding that he’s excited to see it grow.

“What they see and feel in Wrexham is the same as what we do,” McElhenney chimed in. “We love telling the story of a working-class club and a working-class town because it’s a story people can identify with.”

Reynolds and McElhenney paid a combined $3.4 million (£2 million) for the football club, which has won the Welsh World Cup 23 times.

Ahead of their visit, Reynolds said he and McElhenney were “impossibly excited” to welcome Charles to Racecourse ground, which he called the “historic church that resides in the heart of Wrexham and is the heart of Wrexham.”

“Rob and I both said early on, and this holds true and for the rest of our lives, we will do anything to uplift and elevate this community and this club — and having the King pay a visit is certainly one way to do it. That’s for sure.”

When they arrived at the Racecourse Ground stadium, Charles and Camilla walked through the Player’s Tunnel, to replicate how the athletes enter the football field.

During their visit, Charles and Camilla met with Reynolds and McElhenney, plus the First, Women’s, and Youth teams. The King and Queen Consort also took time to speak with the club’s staff and personnel.

Charles and Camilla also met with developers and architects at the stadium to learn about the club’s redeveloping.

McElhenney said he hopes that the king will root for Wrexham in the future. “If not, we’ll make him a fan,” he said, jokingly.

If you’re interested in learning more about Wrexham FC, the documentary Welcome to Wrexham is streaming on Hulu. A second season of the show is expected to premiere on Disney+ in 2023.

In the meantime, go Wrexham!