Wrexham

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Gareth Bale hopes Wrexham "keep doing Wales proud" as they continue to build towards their aim of reaching the Premier League.

The Red Dragons missed out on a play-off spot in the Championship on the final day of the 2025-26 season as they were pipped to sixth spot by Hull City, who went on to gain promotion to the top-flight.

And former Wales international Bale hailed the Stok Cae Ras club's ownership model - led by Hollywood stars Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds - as "incredible".

"I don't think it's the model (to follow), but obviously it's a model and what they've done is absolutely incredible," the former Real Madrid star told US media outlet Front Office Sports.

"I think I've spoken about it a number of times from taking Wrexham from where they were to where they are now and investing in the right way.

"Again, bringing the community together, bringing the club together, kind of reviving them is amazing what they've done.

"To get three promotions in a row and actually on the last day of the season miss out on a play-off to get to the Premier League by two points is extraordinary, but very unlucky at the same time, because it would have been cool to have that fairy tale keep going."

It comes as Bale reiterated his desire to buy a football club - with his hometown side Cardiff City sitting at the top of his wish list.

And while insisting that Wrexham's current model should not necessarily be the blueprint for prospective owners at present, Bale stated the Red Dragons' progress since the club was taken over in February 2021 has been "extraordinary".

"In sport, it's not always if you have the right investment, you get the right players, everything's in line... you still need them to perform on the pitch, which is out of your hands in a way," he added.

"You can do as much as you can to prepare them, but you still need that luck to perform, get the promotion, get the ball to bounce your way a couple of times, which unfortunately didn't happen this year in terms of the last game of the season.

"They could easily have got one bounce of the ball, they get to the play-offs and they might make the Premier League.

"But what they're doing is extraordinary and a model definitely to be looked at seriously - hopefully they keep pushing that club forward and keep doing Wales proud."

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Liberato Cacace became the first Wrexham player to feature in this summer's World Cup finals, starting for New Zealand in their 2-2 Group G draw with Iran in Los Angeles.

The 25-year-old left back played 69 minutes before being replaced by Ben Old who plays for French Ligue 2 club Saint-Etienne.

Cacace - who was limited to only 13 appearances due to injuries in his debut season with Wrexham - made 22 passes with an accuracy rate of 77.3%.

He was successful with one of two attempted tackles, conceded one foul and also had one shot on target.

New Zealand twice took the lead in the game through Motherwell striker Elijah Just, the second coming in the 55th minute after Cacace had stolen the ball on the halfway line.

The All Whites, who also featured Swansea City's Marko Stamenic, next face Egypt in Vancouver on Monday, 22 June (02:00 BST) before taking on Belgium in the same Canadian city the following Sunday.

Wrexham captain Dom Hyam is also at this summer's tournament co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and USA.

The 30-year-old centre was an unused substitute in Scotland's 1-0 opening Group C win against Haiti in Foxborough, with Steve Clarke's side next facing Morocco at the same Boston Stadium venue on Friday (23:00 BST).

Image source, Rob Stead/Wrexham AFC

Adran Premier champions Wrexham Women have signed Mikayla Cook after her departure from Cardiff City Women.

Left-sided defender Cook, 21, scored 23 goals in 85 appearances for the Bluebirds after coming through the club's youth ranks.

The three-time Adran Premier title winner scored nine goals in the 2025-26 league campaign.

"Looking at this club now to what it was when they were first promoted to the Adran Premier, the development has been unbelievable," Cook said.

"I'm looking forward to seeing things now on the inside and seeing what we can achieve together."

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Former Wrexham left-back Neil Taylor believes the Red Dragons can "consolidate" and challenge for promotion in the Championship next season.

Phil Parkinson's men finished seventh in the second tier last term - missing out on a play-off spot on the final day of the regular season.

But Taylor feels Wrexham will once again be near the top end of the Championship table in 2026-27.

"It might have come too fast if they did get promoted this year," Taylor told BBC Sport Wales.

"I think they need a year in the Championship to consolidate, be in around it, sort out the Kop Stand, make it a bit bigger commercially, sign a few more Championship players and then have a good at it.

"Honestly there's no reason Wrexham won't be in and around the top of it next season.

"Phil has obviously done a great job there and it would be amazing if Wrexham were to make that jump."

Wrexham finished last season as the highest-ranked Welsh team in the English Football League, the first time they have done so in 25 years.

And Taylor - who started his professional career with Wrexham before joining Swansea City in 2010 - says the Red Dragons will once again challenge to be top dogs in Wales as they compete with both Swansea and Cardiff City in the Championship next time out.

"When they got promoted out of the National League, I said 'don't be surprised if in four or five years if Wrexham are the leading team in Wales because they've got momentum'," added Taylor.

"We know Cardiff and Swansea have gone through a little bit of a hard time, Cardiff getting relegation, they've proved that over the last couple of years and there's no reason why they can't keep going, which is great.

"Selfishly thinking about Welsh football as well, if the Swans, Wrexham, and even Cardiff have a good season, then it's brilliant."

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Wing-back Liberato Cacace is confident Wrexham can build on their progress during the past season and achieve promotion to the Premier League.

Wrexham missed out on a place in the Championship play-offs to eventual winners Hull City on the final day of the 2025-26 season.

"We made a good step last season in the Championship so it's a matter of just building on that," Cacace told BBC Sport Wales.

"We've got a very good squad at the moment but we're just looking to add talent and hopefully not lose anyone this summer.

"But the main thing is just building on what we've achieved this season and go that extra step further."

Cacace is currently in Florida with the New Zealand squad preparing for the World Cup finals.

He is due to back in the United States with Wrexham for pre-season later this summer with games against Leeds United, Liverpool and Sunderland.

The 25-year-old said it had been a "frustrating" first season with Wrexham since his move from Empoli last July with injuries restricting him to only 13 appearances.

"I just got caught in the cycle of injuries and I really hope it's all behind me," Cacace added.

"Another reason why maybe I had this stop-start season was because I missed a large part of the pre-season with the team.

"This summer I'll definitely be in a better place for my body when I join back with the team.

"And, yeah, I feel like I'm just going to be in the States for most of the summer."

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Wrexham captain Dom Hyam is heading to the World Cup after being named in the Scotland squad for this summer's tournament.

Centre-back Hyam was rewarded for his fine Wrexham form when he won just his second senior cap - and first in three years - in Scotland's friendly defeat to Ivory Coast in March.

The 30-year-old former Blackburn and Coventry player has now been included in Steve Clarke's squad for the World Cup, which is being staged in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

Hyam is one of 10 defenders at Clarke's disposal for group games against Haiti (14 June), Morocco (19 June) and Brazil (24 June).

Hyam will join Wrexham team-mate Liberto Cacace at the tournament after he was named in the New Zealand squad last week.

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Wrexham left wing-back Liberato Cacace has been named in New Zealand's World Cup squad.

Injuries have limited the 25-year-old to only 13 appearances for the Welsh club this season, having joined from Italian side Empoli last year.

Cacace has not played for Wrexham since February but was on the bench for their final two games of the Championship season.

He is included in a New Zealand squad which also features Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood and Braintree Town defender Tommy Smith.

They will become the first New Zealanders to play at two World Cups, having represented the All Whites in South Africa 16 years ago.

In 2010 - competing at a World Cup for only the second time following their 1982 debut - New Zealand drew with Italy, Slovakia and Paraguay but failed to reach the knockout stages.

They will face Belgium, Egypt and Iran in the group stage of the 2026 tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July.

New Zealand will play England in a friendly in Tampa, Florida, on 6 June, three days after facing Haiti.