LOS ANGELES — LA Galaxy’s MLS Next Pro affiliate will host recently promoted Wrexham AFC at Dignity Health Sports Park for a friendly this July.
LA Galaxy II, the MLS Next Pro affiliate of the LA Galaxy, will host Wrexham AFC, the Welsh Soccer club owned by actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, in a friendly at Dignity Health Sports Park on July 22, the Galaxy announced Monday.
Founded in 1864, Wrexham AFC is the third oldest professional soccer club in the world. The Welsh Club was famously purchased in 2020 by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney,
The club is featured on the FX docuseries Welcome to Wrexham, which highlights the peaks and valleys of ownership of the club by McElhenney and Reynolds.
“We are excited to host Wrexham AFC, a club that has captivated a worldwide audience with their journey shown on Welcome to Wrexham and this year’s promotion to the English Football League’s League Two,” LA Galaxy President Chris Klein said in a statement.
Wrexham has seen an elevation of play on the pitch in the years since Reynolds’ and McElhenney’s became owners, most recently the club won its first league title in 45 years last month after finishing at the top of the National League, which led to their promotion into League Two, the fourth tier in England’s football pyramid.
LA Galaxy II is in its first season in MLS Next Pro, the third tier in the American Soccer Pyramid and the team is mostly made up of younger first team players rising through the club’s academy.
“We’re looking forward to our U.S. Tour as we gear up for our return to the EFL. We’ve enjoyed meeting supporters who have travelled over from America to visit us this season, and it will be a fantastic occasion to play against American opposition in front of more of these new fans,” Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said.
