Wrexham to Premier League? Team director thinks it's possible
Wrexham to Premier League? Team director thinks it's possible
Jon Hoefling, USA TODAYThu, April 30, 2026 at 1:00 AM UTC
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Wrexham to Premier League? Team director thinks it's possible
Just a few years ago, Wrexham FC was nothing but an interesting pull to make when discussing unknown European soccer teams.
They certainly aren't so unknown anymore. With the media attention provided by owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, the team's popularity has grown exponentially and come Saturday, they might have an opportunity to do something no one could have imagined from the club just six years ago: earn promotion into the English Premier League.
That hasn't happened yet, but it is a legitimate possibility. After all, the final game of the Championship regular season is this Saturday, and as it stands, Wrexham FC is in position to compete for the third and final promotion slot.
"If we achieve that, as others have said and I agree, it would be the greatest sports story ever," said team director Shaun Harvey.
He isn't exaggerating either. A promotion this year would mean four straight seasons resulting in a promotion. Wrexham will have climbed from the doldrums of English football leagues, starting in the National League and climbing through League Two and League One, to the top of the top in half a decade.
1 / 0Best Premier League action, scenes and drama from 2025-26 seasonDominic Calvert-Lewin of Leeds United misses a headed chance while under pressure from Leny Yoro of Manchester United at Old Trafford on April 13, 2026 in Manchester, England. Leeds United won the match, 2-1.Will Wrexham earn a playoff spot?
While Wrexham currently holds the No. 6 seed, the final playoff position, the team still has one game left: a showdown with current No. 4 seed Middlesbrough.
Wrexham enters Saturday's match tied with No. 7 Hull in the standings with 70 points each. Wrexham only has the advantage due to owning the better goal differential. Furthermore, No. 8 Derby County sits just one point back of both teams, meaning anything could go when each of these teams play on Saturday.
Wrexham has the most intimidating matchup. Hull, meanwhile, will face No. 9 Norwich City, and Derby County will face No. 15 Sheffield United.
A win would almost certainly secure Wrexham's position in the playoff, but it would not be guaranteed. Wrexham's goal differential is just +4, while Hull's is +3, meaning should Wrexham win by one and Hull by three, Hull would earn the final playof bid.
Furthermore, a loss from Wrexham would mean both Hull and Derby County would need to lose, as Derby County currently has the best goal differential (+9) of all three teams. Even a draw from Derby County would elevate them into the No. 6 spot with a Wrexham and Hull loss.
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If Wrexham draws, well then there are a myriad of outcomes that could happen.
How does the Championship playoff work?
The Championship playoff features the teams that finished the regular season ranked No. 3 through No. 6. The No. 1 and 2 seeds each earn automatic promotion into the Premier League.
Only the winner of the playoff earns the third and final promotion slot into the EPL.
Once the playoff starts, the No. 3 team will play the No. 6 team in two games — one home, one away — with the No. 3 seed hosting the second match. The same will happen with the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds.
If each team wins a match, the team with the better aggregate score will advance to the finals. If the aggregate score is tied after two games, the match goes into two 15-minute halves, then a penalty shootout if necessary.
The winning teams then meet at Wembley Stadium for a one-off final to determine the final promotion.
Wrexham recent results
Wrexham holds a 19-13-13 record (W-D-L), but the team has won two of its last three matches, falling to Coventry, 3-1, most recently after defeating Oxford, 1-0, and Stoke, 2-0.
Hull has three draws and two losses in their last five matches, while Derby County has three wins and two losses.
When Wrexham last met Middlesbrough this season, the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wrexham takes aim at Premier League promotion playoff
Source: “AOL Sports”
