The Welsh team has captured the hearts of fans in the United States, making it easy to forget just how far they are below the elite level
America's favorite team is coming to America this summer. Wrexham, the club that has stolen hearts all over the world, is going on tour.
The small Welsh side has improbably become a global powerhouse over the last year, spurred on by celebrity owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. Just two years ago, few outside of the United Kingdom would know anything about Wrexham but, somehow, Reynolds and McElhenney have turned their fifth-division club into a brand that can rival the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea.
Nowhere in the world is that brand bigger than the United States. The country has fallen in love with Wrexham, a true underdog story unlike any that can happen in the American game. Due to the lack of promotion and relegation in MLS, there's no American soccer story quite like Wrexham: a little club that could, but also one with a bit of Hollywood to them thanks to their ownership.
🖥️ Watch Welcome to Wrexham on Hulu in the U.S.👕 Where to buy Wrexham kits, jerseys & accessories🎟️ Get tickets to see Wrexham vs Man Utd in San Diego
And that's what brings Wrexham across the pond for a series of friendlies this summer. The first two are blockbuster, of course: games against the aforementioned Manchester United and Chelsea. Any fan of the game, though, will know how those will likely go.
The gap on the field between those clubs and Wrexham? Simply too large. It'll be fun, but in no way competitive.
Their third friendly, though, which was announced on Monday, could be interesting. Wrexham are no Premier League team. They surely aren't even close to the level of even the worst MLS team. However, their match with LA Galaxy II could provide a good litmus test for the club as they head into their first season back in the EFL.
Getty ImagesPre-season plans
Given the club's popularity, it was a matter if when, not if, Wrexham took their show on the road.
American fans have fallen in love with the club thanks to the FX documentary 'Welcome to Wrexham' and, in general, the underdog story it tells. Add in Reynolds and McElhenneyas familiar figureheads and you have the ultimate story, one filled with drama, stakes and, most importantly, plenty of laughs.
The club, founded in 1864, is the third-oldest club in the world, but it has only recently become one of the world's most relevant. In the coming years, American fans will no doubt flock to the Racecourse Ground to watch the club's continued rise through the English game but, eager to strike while the iron is hot, Wrexham are bringing the fun stateside this summer.
Wrexham will face Chelsea in North Carolina on July 19 and then face Manchester United in San Diego on July 25.
Sandwiched in between those marquee clashes is one that will go slightly under the radar in comparison, as Wrexham will face Los Dos, the LA Galaxy's MLS Next Pro affiliate, on July 22 at Dignity Health Sports Park.
AdvertisementGetty/GOALPremier League tests
The fun part about Wrexham's Premier League friendlies? Everyone knows exactly what to expect. While several English top-flight clubs could definitely learn a thing or two from Wrexham when it comes to brand building, none of them would have any problem with Wrexham on the field.
As beloved as striker Paul Mullin has become, everyone knows that he isn't a Premier League star. No one on Wrexham's team is anywhere near that level. The last player on Manchester United's bench would be a superstar in Wrexham's squad. That's not an insult; that's a fact.
Because of that, we generally know what we'll get from these games. United and Chelsea should win comfortably, giving their key players a decent run out for the fans before getting a few future stars into the mix. Even those future stars should have little trouble with Wrexham, a team that, entering next season, will be 50-60 spots below their opponents in the league hierarchy.
It's an exhibition, a WWE match, essentially, albeit one with an ever-so-slight chance of an unscripted miracle at the end. It's a chance for Wrexham to get their brand out there even more and a chance for Manchester United and Chelsea to ride the Wrexham wave with a fairly casual friendly. Everyone wins, everyone profits, the fans go home happy.
The setup of the English league system makes it easy to compare Manchester United, Chelsea and Wrexham. It's apples to apples.
But when trying to place Wrexham in the global soccer landscape, it's a bit tricker, especially when it comes to the American game.
GettyWhat about MLS?
MLS' place in the global hierarchy is always up for debate but, make no mistake: Wrexham would get annihilated by any MLS team.
While MLS is not the Premier League, the league has risen rapidly in recent years, spurred on by investment across the board. The stadiums are nicer, the academies are producing and the players are better than they ever have been.
The common belief, although it is ever-changing, is that MLS clubs are somewhere around Championship-level. Some MLS teams could maybe hang on for dear life in the lower levels of the Premier League, but most couldn't due to the money involved in England's top flight. The Championship, meanwhile, would provide a worthy test, especially given the general lack of depth in MLS, although that has improved in recent years.
That is to say that Wrexham are nowhere near MLS level. Using Power Rankings, LAFC, the MLS Cup champions, are ranked as the 148th-best club team in the world. The Philadelphia Union, their MLS Cup opponents, are in at 223rd. The league's worst-rated team, D.C. United, are all the way at 902nd, although Wayne Rooney does have them playing better this season with Christian Benteke up top.
Wrexham, meanwhile, find themselves all the way down in 2,083rd. The gap between Wrexham and MLS is simply massive, and it would no doubt show on the field.
To further illustrate the difference, there are five Championship clubs ranked below D.C. and just one, newly-crowned champions Burnley, ranked above LAFC, and the Championship is two divisions above where Wrexham will find themselves playing next year.
D.C. is perhaps the easiest to directly compare. They have a player in Benteke who, until recently, was contributing in the Premier League. They have Mateusz Klich, who played a key role for Leeds United in the first half of the Premier League season, and Lewis O'Brien, who made double-digit appearances for Nottingham Forest before being loaned over. And that's D.C., not one of MLS' big spenders.
While stars like Mullin and Ben Foster could conceivably contribute in MLS, the abundance of talent in the league would simply be too much. Even assuming that Wrexham's ranking is a bit undervalued considering the league they played in this season and the fact that they were way too good for that level, they're still nowhere near anything resembling an MLS team.
There are MLS teams that spend 10-15-times on one player what Wrexham spend on their entire squad. That's a big gap to overcome on a consistent basis.
If Wrexham were to play in MLS as currently constructed, they would be decimated over a full season. MLS clubs simply have more money and more talent. Wrexham's story is great, but, over the course of an entire campaign, it wouldn't be a fair fight.
But that is the beauty of this story, isn't it? Someday it could be a fair fight. Both MLS and Wrexham have plenty of room to grow, in their own way. Let's see where they both are in 25 years' time.
Getty ImagesWho are LA Galaxy II?
While many fans would love to see Wrexham square up with the LA Galaxy, they'll instead face the club's second team, which competes in MLS Next Pro.
The team was founded in 2014, originally playing in the USL PRO, as the Galaxy looked to build a better pathway from the academy to the first team. Future senior internationals like Efrain Alvarez and Ulysses Llanez are among those that have gotten their start with Los Dos, which has produced several first-team regulars for the Galaxy over the years.
Ahead of the 2023 season, the Galaxy announced that Los Dos would join the newly-formed MLS Next Pro, now classified as the third-tier of American soccer. In addition to giving young players a place to play, the league also serves as a testing ground for new rules, including shootouts, timewasting precautions and a rule that sees players sent off with a red card suspended for their next match against the same opponent.
Launched with 21 teams in 2022, there are now 27 MLS reserve teams in MLS Next Pro, with two independent teams set to join in the coming years.
The Galaxy II roster is built, primarily, of the club's academy players, with a few players in the squad signed to first-team contracts as well. Through six games, though, the club has earned just five points, with one win and one shootout win.
Arguably their biggest game of the year, though, will be this friendly against Wrexham, as it will put the Galaxy youngsters in front of a worldwide audience.
“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,” said LA Galaxy President Chris Klein. “We are looking forward to July 22 and giving LA Galaxy II a platform to play an entertaining and exciting opponent.”