Wrexham AFC has grown into one of the most popular soccer clubs in the world under the ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The North American actors purchased the club in November 2020 when it was in the fifth tier of the English soccer pyramid. Instant success transformed Wrexham, and it instantly rose the ranks. In the 2022/23 season, Wrexham climbed back into the EFL League Two, the fourth tier of English professional soccer.

As of the 2024/25 campaign, Wrexham is playing in League One, the third tier of the English soccer pyramid with an exciting schedule of matches that can be followed on US TV. After promotion from League Two, Wrexham jumped up to League One. In the long run, it is one step closer to the Premier League, as only the Championship, the second tier of English soccer, is in the way for Wrexham.

Wrexham is playing in League One for the first time since the 2004/05 season. Since then, Wrexham spent a brief time in the fourth tier. Most of that time was spent outside the English Football League. The club’s rapid rise over recent seasons is a welcome occurrence to one of the most historic sides in the United Kingdom.

As a competitor in League One, Wrexham will face even stiffer opposition. Former Premier League sides Blackpool and Wigan Athletic are just two of the 24 teams that will compete against Wrexham in 2024/25. After earning promotion at the first attempt in the 2023/24 season, that prospect will be even more challenging in 2024/25. However, it does inch the club closer to its best placement of all time.

In the 1978/79 season, Wrexham finished 15th in Division Two, the league that eventually became the Championship. It spent four seasons in Division Two before falling back to the third tier of English soccer.

What league does Wrexham currently play in?

As seen, Wrexham has never played in the English top flight. However, it is on pace to reach the league far earlier than anticipated. One direct comparison is Luton Town, which took 10 years to climb from the fifth tier of England to the first tier. However, no club in English history has earned promotion in the top five leagues in three straight seasons. Other clubs have seen this level of success in the lower tiers. For example, FC United of Manchester went from the 10th division to the seventh division in three years. Wrexham will have the chance to go from the fifth division to the second division in three years.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have turned this otherwise proud local team into a mainstay globally. The Welcome to Wrexham documentary has been particularly powerful in the United States. For example, Wrexham has played friendlies in the United States in both 2023 and 2024, pouncing on the popularity the documentary series has established in the United States.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.