Wrexham A.F.C. finally has a chance of making it to the English Premier League and completing a Hollywood sports story for the ages.
Key Takeaways
- Wrexham is listed at +600 by ESPN BET to make the English Premier League in 2026
- Two teams recently relegated from the EPL lead the betting market in odds
- The celebrity-owned soccer club has come a long way in a short time
The dream of reaching the top flight of English soccer for the first time in the Welsh club's history, and one of the most recognizable leagues in the world, has actual odds placed on it for the first time since two celebrities purchased the downtrodden team in 2021 and turned their journey to relevance into a hit television show.
Wrexham was recently promoted to the EFL Championship, just one step below the Premier League. ESPN BET released EPL promotion odds on Tuesday, reporting that Wrexham is +600 to move up in 2026, the ninth-shortest in the operator’s betting market.
The top two teams in the Championship are automatically promoted, while the next four in the end-of-year standings battle in a playoff for the final Premier League spot.
Odds of making it
Teams ahead of Wrexham for the 2025-2026 season include favorite Ipswich Town (+135) and Southampton (+175), and the 2015-16 Premier League champions, Leicester City (+450). All three clubs were relegated from England’s top league at the end of the latest campaign.
Sheffield United (+225), Birmingham City (+275), Coventry City (+350), Middlesbrough (+350), and West Bromwich Albion (+550) are also ahead of Wrexham in the market.
Former NFL quarterback Tom Brady part-owns Birmingham City, which finished 19 points ahead of second-place Wrexham in this year’s League One.
Brady’s club has the sixth-best odds at +1,100 to win the League Championship while Wrexham is tied with Norwich City and West Bromwich Albion at +1,600 to claim the top spot, according to ESPN BET.
Turnaround made for TV
The rise of Wrexham, the third-oldest soccer club in the world, to this point has been nothing short of incredible. The club was relegated to non-league play in 2008, ending an 87-year run in English soccer's league pyramid.
The team hit financial hardship and struggled to pay the bills by the time actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds purchased the club for £2 million. The celebrities promised to turn its fortunes around with the goal of one day making it to the EPL, chronicling their journey through the popular FX docuseries “Welcome to Wrexham.”
The show and success on the pitch in the second season of celebrity ownership turned the club into a global brand that has raised the value of the team to an estimated £150 million.
Backed by celebrity money, rising popularity, and a desire to acquire better talent, Wrexham has gone on an impressive run over the last three years, being promoted to League Two, League One, and now the Championship.
Their schedule for the 2025-26 season is released on June 26, which is when the fans and their Hollywood owners can begin to map their route to the promised land.
