Can ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ Spin-Off on Mexican Team Necaxa Be As Big a Hit?

Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney, and Eva Longoria are aiming for another sports docuseries hit—this time about a century-old soccer club in Mexico.

Reynolds and McElhenney have made Wrexham AFC a hit on television with Welcome to Wrexham (just renewed for a fifth season) and on the pitch, where the team has been promoted three seasons in a row. But it is less widely known that Reynolds, McElhenney, and Longoria are all investors in Club Necaxa, an Aguascalientes, Mexico–based team that plays in Liga MX, the top tier of Mexican soccer. 

The upcoming series about Necaxa developed by FX and Disney+ was originally called Bienvenidos a Necaxa, but it has been slimmed to Nexaca, according to a Wednesday announcement from FX. 

Necaxa co-owner Sam Porter believes the show can be a hit because of how involved Reynolds, McElhenney, and Longoria are, he told Front Office Sports on a recent episode of Portfolio Players.

“They were already in Wrexham before they joined us, so they knew what the football investment space looked like,” Porter said. “Not all celebrity investors are gonna be the same. These guys do like to get involved.”

Longoria in particular does a ton of work in front of—and behind—the camera. For example, Longoria interviewed coaching candidates. 

Docuseries like Welcome to Wrexham and Necaxa get a team in front of new fans but also deepen the connection with existing fans. “It’s a direct pipeline to their eyeballs,” Porter said.

Club Necaxa was founded in 1923. When FX first announced the show last July, it said the series would follow the team “as they strive to reclaim their place as one of Mexico’s top teams.” Now FX is saying the show will chronicle “a turbulent and transformational era at the storied Mexican football club and the steadfast supporters who never give up hope.”

Wrexham, meanwhile, is now just one level away from the Premier League. Reynolds and McElhenney bought the club for $2.5 million just four years ago when it was struggling financially, and, in 2024 generated $35.6 million in revenue, up 155% from the year before.