Wrexham owners' 'legacy' in 2035 Women's World Cup plan

Football Association of Wales (FAW) chief executive Noel Mooney has revealed the "legacy" role of Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in their 2035 Women's World Cup plan.

The United Kingdom is the sole bidder to host an expanded 48-team tournament in 2035 - and the FAW has targeted two venues among the 16 stadiums planned.

The FAW wants one in the south of the country - probably Cardiff City Stadium rather than Welsh rugby's Principality Stadium home - and one in the north, Wrexham's redeveloped Stok Cae Ras home.

Wrexham's Hollywood owners Reynolds and McElhenney are seeking to expand the Red Dragons' stadium, with a proposed 7,750-seater Kop stand taking capacity to around 18,000.

The pair - who were at the Stok Cae Ras on Saturday to watch newly-promoted Wrexham play their first home game in the Championship - said in May 2024 that development on all four sides of the ground could lead to "between 45,000 and 55,000 people in there".

"The Kop development is a significant first step and the vision for the stadium is incredible," Mooney told the PA news agency.

"What Ryan and Rob are doing is amazing. They are looking to invest in the stadium and build up the Cae Ras, which is the oldest international ground in the world, and there is a potential north star for them.

"The city and the club have a chance to bring a World Cup to north Wales. What a story that would be. What a legacy for Ryan and Rob to leave Wrexham."

The FAW and Wrexham held talks over the Women's World Cup last week and Wales will host the 2026 European Under-19 Championship next summer.

All games will be played in the north at Bangor, Colwyn Bay, Deeside, Denbigh, Deeside and Wrexham, with the Stok Cae Ras hosting the final.

"It's our 150th anniversary next year, we were founded in Wrexham, and the story is very powerful for us," added Mooney, who said the FAW will launch a 10-year strategy for Welsh football in 2026.

"The impact of Ryan and Rob has been manna from heaven for us, the timing of it.

"We've been very fortunate over the last few years to get to a men's World Cup, first women's Euros, and have our young teams starting to qualify for major championships."

"That has coincided with Ryan and Rob coming in."

Under Reynolds and McElhenney Wrexham have risen from the National League to the Championship with three successive promotions, and manager Phil Parkinson has been able to spend around £20m on player recruitment this summer, including Wales internationals Nathan Broadhead, Kieffer Moore and Danny Ward.

"Wrexham has already started collecting a lot of our national team players, and will produce lots of players for us in the future with their investment in youth development and academy," noted Mooney.

"There is a symbiotic relationship there where we can create a lot of value for each other.

"People all over the world are talking about Wrexham and that inspires partners like Fifa, commercial bodies and governments to get involved."

The UK's formal bid for the 2035 Women's World Cup will be submitted in November and likely to be approved by Fifa next year, with all four home nations automatically qualifying for the tournament.