The brief message given to Chelsea from Wrexham's owner gives a clear impression of their goals
Ryan Reynolds, Co-Owner of Wrexham, and Robert McElhenney, Co-Owner of Wrexham, interact as they walk around the pitch prior to the Sky Bet Championship match between Wrexham AFC and Watford at Racecourse Ground on December 13, 2025 in Wrexham, Wales.
Rob McElhenney had a message in store for Chelsea(Image: Joe Prior/Getty Images)
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Wrexham hosted Chelsea in their FA Cup fifth round clash but it was after their previous meeting abroad that the Championship side made clear their ambition to the Premier League giants. The Saturday evening match at the Racecourse Ground was the first competitive fixture between the two clubs since Wrexham's 1-0 win over Chelsea in 1982.
However, the two sides did meet in July 2023 in a pre-season game that took place at Chapel Hill in the United States. Ahead of what was the Red Dragons' first season in League Two following promotion from the National League, they faced a stern test against the Blues, then led by Mauricio Pochettino.
Playing in front of 50,000 fans in North Carolina, Wrexham fell to a heavy 5-0 defeat with the last three goals scored in the final 15 minutes. Despite the disappointing result, the club's co-owner Rob Mac, formerly known as McElhenney, remained buoyant as he sent a message to their top-flight opponents after full-time.
The Always Sunny star posted on X: "Thank you @ChelseaFC!!!! Hopefully we’ll see you again in 5 years or so." Currently riding a streak of three consecutive promotions from the National League to the Championship, Mac's confident prediction remains a possibility with Wrexham currently sitting sixth in the table - the final playoff place.
After a difficult start to life in the second-tier that saw Wrexham win just two of their 10 league games this season, Phil Parkinson's side have improved and sit just nine points behind second with 11 matches remaining.
The club have won their last three games - their second-longest winning streak this season - and their 1-0 triumph over Charlton that earned them special praise from Parkinson. The manager said: "We showed incredible resilience today to get the win.
Ben Tozer #4 of Wrexham AFC and Diego Moreira #42 of Chelsea FC go for a header during a pre-season friendly match at Kenan Stadium
Wrexham lost 5-0 to Chelsea in their 2023 pre-season clash(Image: Getty Images)
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"There were some key moments in the game. Brilliant blocks by [Issa] Kabore and [George] Dobson -- then a brilliant finish from Ollie. Arthur made a save from their first shot on target -- but what a save it was. We know Carey is lethal from those situations. He has hit it low and hard, through legs, and Arthur has produced a match-winning save."
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