Hollywood A-listers Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are making waves in the football world once again, this time by snapping up a Colombian football team with a star-studded investment group.
The Wrexham co-owners have teamed up with the Tylis-Porter group, which boasts big names like Eva Longoria, to take over Bogota’s La Equidad. The Athletic reports that the deal, worth a cool £24.5million ($30m), was sealed yesterday (Wednesday), handing the glitzy consortium a whopping 99% stake in the Categoria Primera A club.
The celebrity investor line-up includes Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander, supermodel Kate Upton and NFL superstar Odell Beckham Jr, all led by property mogul Al Tylis and ex-Swansea City executive Sam Porter. This is the third football venture for Reynolds and McElhenney – along with Wrexham, they’ve previously taken a stake in Mexican outfit Club Necaxa with the same group.
‘Desperate Housewives’ icon Longoria even graced Wrexham’s season opener against Wycombe Wanderers back in August with her presence. On clinching the La Equidad deal, Porter said: “I am pleased to confirm that Al Tylis, our investment partners, and I have successfully acquired Club Deportivo La Equidad. This is an incredible opportunity to enhance the club’s growth in every aspect and to become an integral part of Colombian football.”
He added: “We are privileged to collaborate with an outstanding group of investors, including Eva Longoria, Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney and Shawn Marion, who have been instrumental in our project at Club Necaxa in Mexico. Together, we are committed to elevating the club to its highest potential.”
La Equidad was established in 1982 by an insurance company bearing the same name. The team currently competes in the top tier of Colombian football, but has yet to clinch the title. Their home ground is the Estadio Metropolitano de Techo, which can accommodate 10,000 fans.
The news of the impending investment first surfaced towards the end of 2024, with negotiations continuing since then. Reynolds and McElhenney have already tasted success with Wrexham, their investment propelling the club to consecutive promotions from the National League to League One.
The team has also garnered worldwide attention due to the hit documentary Welcome to Wrexham. A similar documentary about Necaxa is in the pipeline, with filming for “Bienvenido a Necaxa” (Welcome to Necaxa) already in progress.
Reynolds, McElhenney, and Longoria all hold executive producer roles in the series, commissioned by FX and Disney+ Latin America, as reported by Variety in June of the previous year. The Wrexham proprietors are also part of a consortium that acquired a 24 per cent equity stake in the Alpine Racing Formula 1 team.
Meanwhile, it was revealed this week that the pair’s ambitious plans for Wrexham’s home stadium are set to expand even further. Details of revised proposals for a new stand at the Kop End of the Racecourse Ground have been revealed following a recent fan group meeting.
The Hollywood-owned club, who are aiming for a third consecutive promotion to reach the Championship, currently have planning permission for a 5,500-seat stand. However, this could now increase to 7,000 due to high demand for tickets for the north Wales team’s home matches, following the global success of the Welcome to Wrexham documentary.
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