WREXHAM
Wrexham set for Chelsea and Whitecaps clashes to conclude US tour
The Red Dragons are back in the United States again and will play two more pre-season games ahead of life in League One.
Upon the conclusion of the Copa America and Euro 2024, thoughts now quickly turn to the new soccer season as the big teams of European football resume activity and begin preparations for a new and demanding season.
Many big names synonymous with the greats such as Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, AC Milan, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona are all playing pre-season games Stateside with the country embracing the sport with the countdown towards the 2026 World Cup which will be staged in Canada, Mexico and the United States very much underway.
Despite not having the continental glory or accumulated silverware of the aforementioned clubs, Wrexham AFC have built a legion of global supporters thanks to the high profile Hollywood owners in Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney and the success of the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary, now in its third season which chronicles life at the club since the action duo took the reigns at the Welsh football club back in November 2020.
Red Dragons return to the US
After their 22-23 season’s sporting success which saw the Red Dragons abandon the non-league football pyramid, Wrexham were playing in English soccer’s League Two (which is the fourth tier, behind the Premier League, the Championship and League One) and managed to secure a historic promotion which will see the Welsh side play in League One next year.
Securing a place in League One marked the first time in Wrexham’s 159-year history that club have achieved successive promotions, and it’s been almost twenty years since the Red Dragons have played in the third tier of English football.
After the success of the 2023 US Summer Tour when they played the likes of Chelsea and Man United, the Welsh side are Stateside once again and kicked off their first game last weekend in Santa Barbara with a 1-1 draw against Premier League outfit AFC Bournemouth.
Next stop for Phil Parkinson’s men is Santa Clara where they face Chelsea at Levi’s Stadium on 24 July before wrapping things up in Canada as they take on MLS outfit Vancouver Whitecaps at BC Place on 27 July.
Wrexham play one final pre-season friendly against Fleetwood at the Racecourse Ground before starting life in the third tier with a home season opener against Wycombe Wanderers.