Wrexham topics are more interesting to American fans than MLS

The story of Wrexham AFC added another memorable chapter last month, as the Welsh side secured promotion to the Football League with a record point haul.

Fans in the United Kingdom have of course followed Wrexham’s rise, but new figures indicate that the club has a strong following in the United States — with many viewers tuning in to Wrexham matches instead of Major League Soccer games.

What the numbers say

Google searches for Wrexham spiked during January and April — when the team played an important FA Cup tie, and later, when promotion became inevitable. The search engine’s Trends service shows that these spikes in interest surpassed the periods where users searched “MLS” — ranging from mid-February to April.

Over the past 12 months, Trends has the two search terms — one a fifth-tier overseas club, the other a top-flight soccer league — running practically even.

Intrigue about Wrexham can also be traced to the FX television series “Welcome to Wrexham,” which took viewers inside the club and how the ownership group headed by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney operates.

Wrexham’s US tour

In a further blow to MLS, Wrexham have a chance to enhance their popularity this summer when they visit North America on a preseason tour.

Wrexham are set to play a tournament in North Carolina between July 1 and July 4 before playing Premier League side Chelsea on July 19. Then, Wrexham head west to take on LA Galaxy‘s second team on July 22 before another friendly with Manchester United in San Diego, Calif. on July 25.