Wrexham to make US debut in $1m winner-takes-all tournament
- Published
Ryan Reynolds speaks on his club Wrexham
National League club Wrexham will play in the United States for the first time in a tournament which will have a $1m prize on offer for the winners.
The Soccer Tournament, a 32-team, seven-a-side event, will be held in Cory, North Carolina between 1-4 June.
Wrexham have been invited to take part following the success of the Disney+ documentary Welcome to Wrexham.
The series follows the club's fortunes under the ownership of Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Deadpool actor Reynolds and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia creator McElhenney became owners of the Dragons in February 2021.
The Welsh outfit's team will feature club legends as well as personalities featured in the documentary.
"We look forward to debuting in the US with a legends team and the ambition of winning the tournament," said Shaun Harvey, advisor to the board at Wrexham.
"Should we be successful, $500,000 of the prize money will be used to enhance the club's work in the local community.
"Wrexham AFC is more than just a first team. It represents the people of north Wales and this tournament will allow us to incorporate former players of the club like we have never been able to do before."
Isthmian League North Division club Hashtag United, historic Liga MX side Club Necaxa, former Fulham and Spurs star Clint Dempsey's Team Dempsey and US Women, a group of former United States women's national team players organised by Heather O'Reilly, are some of the other teams already confirmed for the tournament.