In Times Square, surrounded by towering screens and neon lights, something remarkable happened: a Welsh football club unveiled their new jersey while ringing the famous Nasdaq bell, and nobody thought twice about it. That's because Wrexham AFC has become something almost unheard of in modern football — a small-town club with a global heartbeat.
Just a week after the World Cup final packed stadiums in New Jersey, Wrexham arrived in America for their third summer tour in four years. The trip kicked off with a stunning 3-2 victory over Premier League side Leeds United at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida. A few days later, more than 42,000 fans packed into New York's iconic Yankee Stadium to watch Wrexham take on Liverpool — the very team that just won the Premier League title. The Welsh side lost 1-0, but even that narrow defeat felt like a win.
"Each time Wrexham has come to the U.S., we've been blown away by the reception," co-owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds told Sports Illustrated. "The support has continued to grow, and it felt important to come back and connect with those fans in person."
The growth is real. At one Manhattan mall, fans spotted Wrexham shirts displayed right next to those of Real Madrid. Defender Callum Doyle described being stopped for photos by young admirers during a day off. Printers Alley, a sports bar steps from Times Square, now holds viewing parties for matches that kick off as early as 7:45 in the morning — and fans actually show up. When around 200 Wrexham supporters gathered there the night before the Liverpool match, bar manager Eddie O'Doherty called it "an honour to be a part of what Wrexham have built."
It's a dizzying rise from just four years earlier, when the club's pre-season schedule featured matches against Burnley's Under-23s, Tamworth, and Curzon Ashton. Now, icons from Wrexham's past — including Mickey Thomas, Steven Fletcher, and former England goalkeeper Ben Foster — flew to New York simply to wear the new kit and be part of the moment.
The fame comes with tradeoffs. Wrexham's US tour alone covers nearly 9,000 air miles, and manager Phil Parkinson admits the travel takes a toll. But he isn't complaining. "I'd never swap the experiences we've had," he said after a match against Manchester United in Poland. "That's what the club's been all about."
For a club that nearly dropped out of the English Football League in 2008, competing against Premier League giants — and winning fans across the Atlantic — feels like proof that anything is possible.