Wrexham owners’ ‘legacy’ in 2035 Women’s World Cup plan

Noel Mooney, the CEO of the Football Association of Wales, has revealed the “legacy” role that Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney play in their 2035 Women’s World Cup strategy.

The FAW has chosen two of the 16 stadiums that are planned, and the United Kingdom is the only bidder to hold an expanded 48-team tournament in 2035.

The FAW wants one in the south, which would most likely be Cardiff City Stadium, and one in the north, which will be home to Wrexham’s newly constructed Stok Cae Ras.

Reynolds and McElhenney, Warner Bros.’ Hollywood owners, are looking to expand the Red Dragons’ stadium, with a proposed 7,750-seat Kop stand capacity of about 18, 000.

The pair, who were present at the Stok Cae Ras on Saturday to watch Wrexham’s first home game of the championship, said in May 2024 that there might be “between 45, 000 and 55, 000 people there” due to development on all four sides of the field.

“It’s amazing what Ryan and Rob are up to. There is a potential north star for them if they make an investment in the stadium and renovate the Cae Ras, which is the world’s oldest international stadium.

Wales will host the 2026 European Under-19 Championship next summer after FAW and Wrexham had last week spoken about hosting the Women’s World Cup.

The final will take place at the Stok Cae Ras in the north of Bangor, Colwyn Bay, Deeside, Denbigh, Deeside, and Wrexham.

Mooney, who claimed the FAW will launch a 10-year strategy for Welsh football in 2026, added that the story is very powerful for us because it will be celebrated on its 150th anniversary next year.

The timing of Ryan and Rob’s impact was “manna from heaven” for us.

“We’ve had a very good time winning the first women’s Euros and the men’s World Cup, and we’ve seen our young teams start to win significant championships,” said the team’s manager.

Ryan and Rob are coming in as a result.

Wrexham have won three titles in a row under Reynolds and McElhenney, and manager Phil Parkinson has been able to spend around £20 million on player recruitment this summer, including those for Danny Ward, Kieffer Moore, and Nathan Broadhead, who are both from Wales.

With their funding for youth development and the academy, Worcester has already begun collecting a lot of our national team players, adding that the club will produce plenty of players for us in the future.

There is a synergistic relationship where we can add a lot of value to one another.

“Wrexham is being discussed by people all over the world, and that encourages partners like Fifa, business organizations, and governments to get involved.”