Birmingham City won the blockbuster clash against Wrexham on Monday night as Tom Brady won the battle over Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds .
Despite both teams now playing in League One, Birmingham was relegated last season while Wrexham earned a second-straight promotion, and the difference in class was clear to see. Initially, Wrexham was in dreamland after striker Jack Marriott scored inside three minutes to silence the home crowd.
Brady sanctioned a major transfer during the summer as Birmingham spent $20 million on Premier League striker Jay Stansfield, who shattered the League One transfer record after agreeing to join the Blues from Fulham. The size of the deal was criticized by rival fans, but Stansfield proved his worth and scored a brace to put Birmingham ahead.
Tomoki Iwata then gave Birmingham a healthy two-goal lead, adding to Brady's joy while McElhenney was left frustrated in the stands. The two A-list co-owners mocked one another heading into Monday's game , but once again when it comes to sports, Brady came out on top.
Wrexham has been completely transformed since McElhenney and Reynolds took control, with the Welsh team now eyeing a place in the Premier League as part of a long-term plan. The recent success at Wrexham has highlighted the extent of opportunities available to those with a big profile owning a lesser-known soccer team, and Brady invested in Birmingham last year.
Both Wrexham co-owner McElhenney and Birmingham co-owner Brady confirmed they would be attending Monday's game, with the latter being joined by soccer legend David Beckham. Alongside Beckham was his former Manchester United and England teammate Gary Neville.
The trio were all celebrating as Birmingham ran away with the game, leaving McElhenney to regret his pregame taunts. The Hollywood actor sourced the help of former NFL star Eli Manning, who famously beat Brady's New England Patriots twice in the Super Bowl.
McElhenney got Manning to declare his love for Wrexham and posted two pictures of the former New York Giants quarterback posing in a Wrexham jersey. "We are honored that Eli Manning has coincidentally, (because co-chairmen Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds begged him) joined the Wrexham fanbase, just in time for our match over at Tom Brady's Birmingham City on Monday night," a post was captioned on X.
Manning even added to the joke, and added: "Now I can beat Tom Brady in football and fútbol! Go Wrexham!" Brady took his time to respond but did so with a hilarious video while wearing a Birmingham sweater and holding up one of his seven Super Bowl trophies.
"I've been working on a little response video to Eli and I'm looking around the house, but I can't find the other six of these," he said, holding up just one honor. "Rob, can you educate the Wrexham fans just a little bit on the history of the NFL? Thanks, bud, appreciate y'all. I'll see you Monday."
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