Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds denies the rumours of taking over Brazilian Série C side, Santa Cruz.
Wrexham’s FA Cup tie against Chelsea was a success in every metric. While the players & staff deserve credit for the intensity they put in, co-owners Rob & Ryan were just as instrumental in their success.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney were involved in the Racecourse preparations long before the knockout began. Not only did the duo celebrate every key moment Wrexham won, but they were also the first to hold their heads high despite the 2–4 defeat in the end.
Needless to say, the Wrexham owners have been making headlines for their involvement in the FA Cup tie against Chelsea. However, it’s not the only reason their names have been buzzing in football lately.
In recent days, Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds has been linked with a takeover of Brazilian football club Santa Cruz. The Brazilian Série C side is being eyed as the next addition to Reynolds’ impressive portfolio of football clubs.
It turns out that all this was merely speculation, based on Santa Cruz’s ambitions to attract private investment and Reynolds’ history with football clubs. Recently, the Hollywood actor himself denied the rumours.
As quoted by the Goal, Ryan Reynolds mentioned: “I’m interested in spending the rest of my life in Brazil, but not in buying a club.”
Reynolds put the Santa Cruz rumours to bed, saying: “No, I already have a lot to deal with here. And I’m very grateful and lucky to be able to do this. I think I’d rather do one thing well than 50 things badly. So, you know, I can visit Brazil without all the pressure that comes with owning a club.”
Why was Santa Cruz rumoured closely to Ryan Reynolds?
Apart from Ryan Reynolds’ ambitious nature and his interest in club ownership, the Santa Cruz rumours linked him to the club for multiple reasons.
Notably, Santa Cruz is a sleeping giant of the Brazilian Série division. Even after winning a promotion from Série D last year, the club still finds itself in the third tier despite having a massive loyal fanbase.
While this isn’t exactly similar to Wrexham’s story, Santa Cruz’s situation bears similarities to the Reds’ history. Despite being the third-oldest club in the world, Wrexham languished in the National League until Ryan Reynolds transformed their fortunes alongside co-owner Rob Mac.
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What makes the duo’s success even more noteworthy is how they’ve applied the successful Wrexham model at other clubs. Having started with Wrexham, then buying Club Necaxa, and now working their magic with Inter Bogotá, the co-owners have proven their formula works.
Ryan Reynolds has been one of the biggest pioneers of the celebrity-owned club model. Naturally, he was linked to Santa Cruz as the club transitions to private ownership in hopes of returning to its glory days.
While everything hinted at Reynolds expanding his football empire in Brazil, his recent comments have put an end to the surging Santa Cruz rumours.
Ryan Reynolds focuses on existing club ownerships
As Ryan Reynolds mentioned, he prioritises picking a few things and doing them well rather than piling up multiple projects simultaneously. While that is self-explanatory, the Wrexham co-owner’s portfolio illustrates this approach perfectly.
Reynolds has multiple clubs under his belt. Despite having begun his career in sports ownership in 2021, the Hollywood actor has stakes in multiple ongoing projects.
This includes his majority co-owner stake in Wrexham AFC, a minority stake as part of the consortium that took over Club Necaxa in 2024, and another minority stake as part of the same consortium that took over Inter Bogotá in early 2025.
Apart from these three football clubs, Ryan Reynolds holds a 24% stake in the Alpine F1 Team. All this while managing his acting career and barely missing an opportunity to champion Wrexham and other owned clubs.
With this in mind, it makes sense for him not to rush into another club purchase. Certainly not one like Santa Cruz, which would require extensive efforts to return the club to the top of Brazilian football.
All in all, Ryan Reynolds isn’t looking to add another football team to his impressive portfolio anytime soon. Nobody knows if Wrexham’s rapid ascent to the Premier League, and perhaps the Champions League one day, might inspire him to launch another such mission in the future.
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