Ryan Reynolds has weighed in on the World Cup issue criticized by a BBC host. The Wrexham co-owner watched Canada's draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 2026 World Cup. Reynolds was among several celebrities spotted on television attending the tournament, and BBC presenter Mark Chapman criticized the emphasis placed on famous supporters.
Reynolds attends Canada's opening match
The Deadpool star, who is co-owner of Wrexham, made the journey to Toronto for Canada's opening fixture against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Fellow actor Mike Myers was also seen in the crowd. Reynolds was thrilled following Cyle Larin's equalizer, which secured his nation's first point at a World Cup.
Taking to social media, he wrote: "I was not gonna miss this match. Planes, trains, automobiles to get here but completely worth it. Toronto showed up. Canada showed up. One of the greatest atmospheres the sport has seen. So proud of @teamcanada @fifaworldcup @canadasoccer."
Wrexham co-owner's perspective
Reynolds joined forces with It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Rob McElhenney to acquire Wrexham in November 2020. The pair have since helped the club achieve global recognition through the Welcome to Wrexham docuseries, though Reynolds has previously insisted that he had no desire to overshadow the team.
"If you're just reading the headlines, you probably think, 'Oh, this show is going to be funny,'" Reynolds told Variety in 2023. "It's gonna be a fish-out-of-water story about two schmucky showbiz morons going in, falling on their a****, learning as they go. But the show literally does not centre us. It centres the town."
The fifth series of Welcome to Wrexham is currently being released, with the programme recently commissioned through to 2029. Despite the co-owners' celebrity status, the show has also shone a light on the stories of players, supporters and club personnel.
BBC host's criticism
BBC Sport presenter Mark Chapman recently criticized the emphasis placed on celebrity supporters at matches. "Although, am I being a bit grumpy here when I say I'm fed up of cutaways to famous people in the crowd?" Chapman asked on The Sports Agent podcast. "I mean, listen, we do it in this country as well, and it winds me up."
Chapman continued: "But now it's like [David] Beckham and [Tom] Cruise... Rod Stewart 27 times the other night at Foxborough!" He added: "Occasionally on some live games that I've done, when you do the build-up, and occasionally they've then cut someone up in the crowd, and I've looked out and I've thought, 'I've absolutely no idea who [that is].' And then they'll tell me in my ear who it is, and I'm thinking, 'I still have absolutely no idea who that is!'"
Tom Cruise, Jay-Z and Tom Brady are among other high-profile figures who have been seen attending World Cup fixtures. Neither the BBC nor ITV is responsible for the pictures provided, which are supplied by the host broadcaster.
