A star-studded investment consortium has acquired Bogotá soccer team La Equidad.
The purchase was partially financed by U.S. actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney who co-own the British soccer club Wrexham.
The celebrities formed part of the U.S.-based Tylis-Porter Group, which reportedly paid over USD $30 million for the team, which ranked 13th out of 20 in the 2024 Colombian league phase.
In addition to the A-list Wrexham FC owners, the consortium also included stars such as Mexican-American actress Eva Longoria and U.S. model Kate Upton.
The group is named after Al Tylis, a real estate investor, and Sam Porter, who was previously a soccer executive at the Major League Soccer (MLS) team D.C. United as well as Welsh side, Swansea City.
Reynolds and McElhenney’s purchase of La Equidad makes it the third soccer team in their portfolio.
It is not their first foray into Latin America’s soccer business; in April 2024, the pair acquired a minority stake in Mexican team Necaxa.
The Tylis-Porter Group had previously bought 50% of Necaxa in 2021 and sold a portion of the team to Reynolds and McElhenney who in turn sold the group a portion of Wrexham.
Reynolds and McElhenney made headlines in 2021 when they purchased Wrexham FC, at the time a fifth division team, for USD $2.5 million.
Since acquiring the club, the actors have leveraged their celebrity status to boost its profile.
Notably, they produced a documentary series on the Disney+ streaming platform called Welcome to Wrexham which follows their management of the team and its players’ lives.
Varsity also reported in July 2024 that filming had begun on a similar series titled Welcome to Necaxa that will feature Reynolds, McElhenney and Longoria.
It remains unclear if the stars have similar plans for La Equidad.
In a statement on social media, La Equidad celebrated the club’s purchase.
“It fills us with pride to announce that La Equidad Football Club is beginning a new stage,” the club wrote.
It also said that the sale has been approved by the DIMAYOR, the organization that oversees the major soccer leagues in Colombia.
Speaking to The Athletic, Porter suggested that the consortium hopes to oversee improvements in the club’s standing.
“This is an incredible opportunity to enhance the club’s growth in every aspect and to become an integral part of Colombian football,” said Porter.
