American actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have added Colombian soccer team La Equidad to their ever-growing portfolio.
The club was acquired by the Wrexham FC owners who were part of a larger U.S.-based consortium named the Tyler-Portis Group. They feature other major celebrity investors such as Eva Longoria, Justin Verlander, Kate Upton, retired NBA player Shawn Marion, and Scott Galloway. The consortium paid a rumored $30 million to acquire the club, although exact financial details are yet to be disclosed.
It makes the third soccer team in Reynolds and McElhenney’s portfolio after they acquired a minority position in Mexican team Necaxa earlier last year.
The pair initially made international headlines in 2021 when they purchased Welsh team Wrexham FC, who currently sit in League One (the 3rd tier of the English football ladder). At the time of purchase, the team languished in the National League, the fifth tier. Following the acquisition, Disney+ platformed a show called Welcome to Wrexham, which follows the two actors as they attempt to revitalize the team and engage with the local community. Variety also reported last year that there were plans to do a similar Welcome to Necaxa series featuring Longoria.
“Our new owners are committed to investing in key areas, including our core forces and our female team,” La Equidad said in an official statement.
La Equidad was founded in 1982 but was considered an amateur team until 1993 when they joined Categoria Primera C, Colombia’s third division. In 2003, they were promoted to Primera B and made it to the top flight three years later. While they have never won the Primera A, they finished runners-up three times. Last season, they finished 13th.
The new purchase also comes at a period of personal strife for Reynolds, who is currently being sued alongside his wife Blake Lively by her co-star and director of the film It Ends With Us Justin Baldoni. He is reportedly suing for $400 million in damages.
