Wrexham reignite Cardiff City rivalry as Ryan Reynolds eyes Welsh supremacy

Tom Weber

• 28 Oct 2025 13:14 CDT
• 9 min read

News

Wrexham are ready for a grudge match against Cardiff City in the Carabao Cup as they continue their bid for Welsh supremacy.

The historic club - the third-oldest in world football - have enjoyed a brilliant resurgence under Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, achieving three successive promotions.

However, life in the second-tier Championship has not been plain sailing so far for the Dragons. Wrexham languish in 16th, having picked up just one league win since 20 September.

Their indifferent recent form is providing extra motivation for Tuesday's Carabao Cup clash with Cardiff City, although this shouldn't be required, given what is at stake.

This game will reignite a rivalry that has been dormant for 21 years. Moreover, with Swansea City facing Premier League behemoth Man City, the winners of the Wrexham-Cardiff game are likely to be the last Welsh team standing in the Carabao Cup.

Wrexham v Cardiff: A rivalry but not a derby?

Supporters of the two clubs are quick to downplay suggestions that Wrexham versus Cardiff is a 'derby' as this term generally implies a certain degree of geographic proximity.

The two cities are 138 miles apart, so there is really no local animosity. However, few will deny that there is a tangible rivalry between the two clubs going back at least a century.

Wrexham is generally viewed as the cradle of Welsh football. The Welsh association was formed in the city, and Wrexham are the oldest team in the country.

However, Cardiff have enjoyed the more recent success, reaching the Premier League several times, and the city is also more attractive to the Welsh national team due to having better footballing infrastructure than Wrexham.

Wrexham are 23-time Welsh Cup champions, while Cardiff have won the trophy 22 times. Back when these two sides used to play each other regularly, clashes were infused with a palpable derby spirit, as former players openly acknowledge.

"Cardiff is a derby because of the rivalry between two clubs - and it will always be that," former Dragons player Waynne Phillips told the BBC. "Until now Wrexham have been behind Cardiff for the last 20 years and Cardiff have played in the highest league.

"They will both argue the case but with everything that's going on, Wrexham is the biggest club. We haven't played each other too often over the last 15 or 20 years and this one is special because there's a place in the last eight up for grabs."

Ex-Cardiff star Nathan Blake added: "Looking back at the nineties, it was a derby. Joey Jones would get the Wrexham boys all wound up and both teams travelled to the other in big, big numbers and I think that says it all.

"There are four Football League clubs in Wales and they're all vying for the number one spot."

Wrexham battling for Welsh supremacy

As mentioned, the winner of this game will most likely be the last Welsh team remaining in the Carabao Cup, unless Swansea can pull off a massive upset against Man City on Wednesday.

Short-term bragging rights are up for grabs, but even if Wrexham were to lose, it would only be a brief blemish on their long-term ambition of becoming the biggest and best team in Wales.

Thanks to the commercial opportunities provided by having celebrity owners, Wrexham are looking to improve their infrastructure. According to the Daily Mail, they are currently in talks to return to Colliers Park, which was sold in 2011, and make it the club's permanent training facility.

The commute between the current facilities and the stadium has been described as a 'chore' for players. The Racecourse, the club's home ground, is also being renovated and expanded.

What's more, Wrexham have hired Gus Williams from the Welsh FA to lead their academy in a bid to rival the talent output of Swansea and Cardiff. The former are currently 13th in the Championship, above Wrexham, while Cardiff suffered relegation to League One last season, where they sit second.

A stark contrast in ownership

Wrexham's match against Cardiff will also be a massive clash in terms of ownership. While the Dragons' famous shareholders have been hailed as saviours, the Bluebirds would ideally rid themselves of billionaire backer Vincent Tan.

The Malaysian magnate has been at the helm of Cardiff since 2010 and has repeatedly faced protests from supporters. In recent years, Tan has essentially ruled the club in absentia.

He has not been present for a game since 2023, which is in stark contrast to Reynolds and Mac, who are not only frequently at matches, but they have also drawn other celebrities to the Racecourse.

Tan, who held a 20 per cent stake in MLS franchise LAFC until 2020, famously tried to change the badge and colour of the Bluebirds to red, which sparked widespread outrage.

Derby or not, Wrexham against Cardiff is bound to be an amazing spectacle.

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