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Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have teamed with a group of A-list investors to buy into a Colombian football team.
The Wrexham co-owners have joined with members of the Tylis-Porter group, which includes high profile figures like actress Eva Longoria, to buy into Bogota-based club La Equidad. The deal worth more than $30million (£24.5m) was confirmed yesterday and will see the star-studded group acquire a 99% stake in the Categoria Primera A outfit, according to The Athletic.
Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander, model Kate Upton and NFL player Odell Beckham Jr. are among the other celebs involved. The consortium is fronted by real estate investor Al Tylis and former Swansea City director Sam Porter.
It’s the third football club Reynolds and McElhenney have invested in after the two actors previously purchased a minority stake in Mexican side Club Necaxa with the same group. A 5% stake in the north Wales club was also sold to the Liga MX team’s ownership as part of a reciprocal arrangement.
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Longoria, who starred in Desperate Housewives, later made an appearance at Wrexham’s opening game of the season against Wycombe in August.
Commenting on the purchase of La Equidad, 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.
“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.”
Eva Longoria at Wrexham’s game against Wycombe in August 2024
La Equidad was founded in 1982 by an insurance company of the same name. The club current plays in the top tier of the Colombian league system, but has never lifted the title.
Their home stadium is the Estadio Metropolitano de Techo which has a capacity of 10,000. News of the planned investment first emerged in late 2024, with talks ongoing since then.
Reynolds and McElhenney have already enjoyed success with Wrexham, with their investment helping the club achieve back-to-back promotions from the National League to League One. The team has also gained global attention thanks to the popularity of the Welcome to Wrexham documentary.
A documentary on Necaxa is also in the offing, with filming already underway for the series titled “Bienvenido a Necaxa” (Welcome to Necaxa). Reynolds, McElhenney and Longoria all have executive producer roles in the show commissioned by FX and Disney+ Latin America, as reported by Variety in June last year.
The Wrexham owners are also part of a group which took a 24% equity stake in the Alpine Racing Formula 1 team.