The success of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's Welcome to Wrexham has inspired a wave of celebrity-led football documentaries. The series, which chronicles the Hollywood duo's takeover of the Welsh club and its rise through the English football league system, earned eight Primetime Emmy nominations and prompted networks to develop similar projects.
Amazon's Built in Birmingham: Brady and the Blues follows NFL legend Tom Brady as he attempts to turn around Birmingham City. The five-part series showcases Brady's trademark confidence, but reveals a lack of understanding of the sport as he questions whether football and soccer are different. His doubts about manager Wayne Rooney's work ethic proved prescient, as Rooney's tenure was disastrous.
FX's Necaxa, a direct spin-off of Welcome to Wrexham, focuses on the Mexican Liga MX club. Eva Longoria leads the revival of the team while reconnecting with her Mexican heritage. The series, executive produced by McElhenney and Reynolds, is entirely in Spanish, highlighting cultural representation in a league that once drew larger US audiences than the Premier League.
ESPN+'s Running of the Wolves offers a more authentic take. Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos own Campobasso FC, an Italian third-division side. Consuelos, who spent part of his childhood in Italy and speaks fluent Italian, is deeply involved in club operations. The series captures his genuine enthusiasm and the community's response, making it the most convincing of the Wrexham imitators.
