Wrexham Stuns Birmingham City In Dramatic FA Cup Upset

Wrexham Stuns Birmingham City In Dramatic FA Cup Upset...

Wrexham AFC, the Welsh club co-owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, pulled off a stunning 2-1 upset against Birmingham City in the FA Cup semifinals on Saturday. The match, played at London's Wembley Stadium, marked Wrexham's deepest run in the tournament since 1997 and sent shockwaves through English football.

The victory is trending in the U.S. due to Wrexham's growing American fanbase following the success of FX's "Welcome to Wrexham" documentary series. Birmingham City, a Championship side, entered as heavy favorites but conceded two first-half goals before a late rally fell short.

Wrexham's Paul Mullin opened scoring in the 18th minute with a clinical finish, followed by Elliot Lee's 37th-minute header. Birmingham's Juninho Bacuna cut the deficit in the 72nd minute, but the League Two underdogs held firm. The match drew 78,532 spectators, Wrexham's largest crowd since their 1999 Auto Windscreens Shield final.

Social media erupted after the final whistle, with Reynolds tweeting "This is why we bought a football club" to his 21 million followers. The upset continues Wrexham's remarkable rise since the celebrity takeover in 2021, which has seen them promoted from the National League and now reach an FA Cup final against either Manchester City or Chelsea.

American viewership peaked during the match's U.S. broadcast on ESPN+, with early data showing record numbers for a non-Premier League FA Cup fixture. The result guarantees Wrexham at least £1 million in prize money and European qualification if they win the final on May 21.

Birmingham City manager Tony Mowbray called the loss "a dark day" for the club, while Wrexham's Phil Parkinson became the first manager to guide a fifth-tier team to the FA Cup final. The Cinderella story has captivated U.S. sports fans, with Google searches for "Wrexham" spiking 480% in the past 24 hours.

The victory sets up a potential David vs. Goliath final that could feature Hollywood A-listers facing off against Premier League royalty. Wrexham becomes the first non-league team in 109 years to reach the semifinals and now the first from outside England's top four divisions to make the final since 1914.