Wrexham FC have secured promotion to the EFL Championship after a 3–0 win over Charlton Athletic, continuing their third journey up the English football top flight.

The Welsh club’s third consecutive promotion was confirmed on Saturday, April 26, with a brace from Sam Smith and a brilliant finish from Oliver Rathbone, finishing second in League One and guaranteed a place in the second tier for the 2025–2026 season.

Wrexham were still in the National League, the fifth level of English football, having spent more than a decade trapped outside the professional leagues. The club had undergone an amazing transformation since Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took control in 2020 as co-owners. The club has experienced a change since their arrival.

The club advanced quickly under its new ownership. They won the National League in the 2022–2023 season; setting a new points total and finally returning to League Two. Storming through the 2023–2024 season, they won back-to-back promotions to League One, and the momentum carried on.

Wrexham adjusted fast, improving their team with clever signings and mixing experience with young energy, even under more challenging competition this year. 

Despite facing tougher competition in this campaign, Wrexham strengthened their squad with smart signings and combined experience with youthful energy.  Since they last competed in the second division in 2004.

Throughout their campaign in League One, the club had some standout players, such as Sam Smith, who scored 20 goals and assisted. Others, such as Oliver Rathbone and Ryan Barnett, the team recorded memorable wins such as a 4–1 win over Northampton Town and a 3–0 win against Exeter City. 

However, the team also faced challenges along the way, suffering a 3–1 defeat to Birmingham City and a 2–1 loss to Leyton Orient. Under the leadership of manager Phil Parkinson, the team finished in second place with 89 points behind Birmingham City.

Much of Wrexham’s success has been credited to heavy investment and a strong sense of community spirit that Reynolds and McElhenney worked hard to preserve. From restoring the Racecourse home  Ground to actively interacting with supporters worldwide.

The global popularity of the club was amplified with the documentary series ‘Welcome to Wrexham,’ which captured football fans beyond the town’s borders, turning the football club into a symbol of hope and ambition.

Thousands of fans flooded the pitch and the streets in celebration of the club’s hard-fought promotion back to the EFL Championship, as the club’s promotion to the Championship represents their highest league standing.