Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney purchased the Wrexham Soccer club to bring it back to its glory at a much needed time. Although originally McElhenney’s, the idea saw a silver lining in Reynolds’ popularity and made way for one of the most captivating and applauded sports documentaries. Despite having their heart in the right place, the duo’s quest to turn the tide upside down for Wrexham FC was far from an easy breeze. However, with their encouragement, the club finds itself very close to a promotion to League two. The journey has been enthralling, comedic, and much like Ted Lasso.

Despite Ted Lasso being a fictional dramedy and Welcome to Wrexham featuring the real life pull up of the club, the comparisons were endless. And it did not escape the reputed owners of the club, who gave their two cents on it.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney debunk any Ted Lasso comparisons

In their quest to bring Wrexham back to its past glory, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney did not shy away from using their star power. They used every trick in the book, from promotional tweets, interviews, and a Gossip Girl alumni appearance to dust off Wrexham. And their hard work shined as the word around town spread in favor of the Welcome to Wrexham documentary. But not without Ted Lasso comparisons. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in summer of 2022, Rob McElhenney set the record straight by saying, “We did it first!“.

The owner revealed that he was on a call with Jason Sudeikis long before either were released, inquiring about how things work around Apple. Given that Ted Lasso is an Apple series.

It was during this call Rob McElhenney told him about their documentary plans. However, due to certain complications, Welcome to Wrexham was released in 2022, and Ted Lasso hit the floors in 2020.

Is Welcome to Wrexham actually a real life Ted Lasso?

Without getting into the nitty-gritty, Reynolds and McElhenney’s dedication towards Wrexham’s success seems to have taken notes from Ted Lasso‘s plot.

Apart from the Americans in English football aspect and the selflessness of Lasso that both the Wrexham owners mirror, there isn’t much that is similar. Lasso struggles to curry favor with the team and its supporters, and the case of the Wrexham owners is quite the contrary.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s charisma and of course, the 2.5 million dollar cash promise managed to awaken the Wrexham fans who had been in slumber for a long time. Moreover, the ultimate clause for Welcome to Wrexham to be considered a real life Ted Lasso is if they win the Premier League. The team is currently at loggerheads with Notts County to win the National League title.

What do you think sets Wrexham FC apart from AFC Richmond? Let us know in the comments below.