Wrexham AFC is on the rise once again. The Welsh club has secured promotion to the EFL Championship — just one tier below the Premier League — after a dominant 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic on Saturday.
Midfielder Oliver Rathbone kicked things off with a goal in the 15th minute, and striker Sam Smith followed up with two more in the 18th and 81st minutes. The victory puts Wrexham at 89 points with one game left in the season, locking in a second-place finish and their third promotion in three straight years.
Wrexham currently competes in League One, the third tier of English football. With this promotion, they’ll move up to the Championship, the second tier. In League One, the top two teams earn automatic promotion, while a playoff determines the third team. Birmingham City has already clinched the top spot with 102 points. 
Wrexham’s rise has been nothing short of incredible. Three consecutive promotions are almost unheard of in the English football league system, especially starting from the National League.
Much of the club’s recent success can be credited to its high-profile owners, actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. Since taking over the club in November 2020, they’ve invested heavily both on and off the pitch — a journey captured in their popular docuseries Welcome to Wrexham.
The first big milestone under their ownership came when the team earned promotion to League Two, marking a return to professional football after more than a decade. Then, in the very next season, they moved up again to League One. Now, they’ve achieved yet another leap — to the Championship.
Looking ahead, staying competitive in the Championship will be a much bigger challenge. Many clubs in the division have Premier League experience, stronger squads, larger stadiums, and more financial power. For example, Wrexham’s average attendance this season has been around 12,757, while Southampton — currently set for relegation from the Premier League — averages about 30,000 fans per match.
Still, Wrexham has proven time and time again that it’s not afraid of tough odds. And if the past few seasons have shown anything, it’s that this team knows how to defy expectations.
