In American culture, Hollywood is where the underdog triumphs and dreams come true. In English culture, the FA Cup occupies a similar niche.
Hundreds of teams, large and small, enter the world’s oldest national soccer tournament every year. The formula lends itself to the occasional stunning upset—the dreaded “cup shock” that can send giants packing at the hands of humble country sides.
On Saturday, the two came together perfectly as Wrexham AFC—owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney—defeated Coventry City 4–3 to advance to the fourth round of the Cup. The Red Dragons built a 3–1 halftime lead and staved off a late charge to progress.
Wrexham, a 159-year-old Welsh team that plays in the English system, is in the fifth-tier National League, while Coventry City is in the second-tier Football Championship—one step down from the Premier League.
Reynolds and McElhenney have owned the club since 2020. FX has dramatized their stewardship of the team in the docuseries Welcome to Wrexham, which premiered on the network in August ’22.
Wrexham will learn its next opponent on Sunday at 11:05 a.m. ET, at which point the 32 remaining clubs will be drawn into 16 matchups.
