Buying a ‘large’ stake in Leeds United marks the next chapter in the Hollywood icon Will Ferrell’s ever-growing love for football.
The Elf actor is known to be a huge fan of the beautiful game, having become a co-owner of MLS side LAFC in 2016 and making regular appearances at Soccer Aid.
However, a move into English football via Championship high-flyers Leeds marks a change in direction for the 56-year-old who until now has been content to be a spectator only on this side of the pond.
And it may have been trip just over the border to Wrexham, alongside his A-list pals Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, that gave him the bug for ownership in the British Isles.
The comedian was pictured alongside the pair during a visit to the Welsh club last year, and made an appearance in their hit documentary ‘Welcome to Wrexham’.
The Elf actor was seen sharing a joke with Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds and former England footballer David Beckham during the FA Trophy Final between Bromley and Wrexham at Wembley in May 2022
Will Ferrell was seen on a visit to Wrexham AFC in the series Welcome to Wrexham, during which he spoke with the players
The Anchorman star provoked laughter form the Wrexham players after asking what they really thought of their club’s owners
The Hollywood icon has also been pictured taking photos with footballers such as Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold
Ferrell was seen paying a visit to the team’s stadium locker room where he shook hands with the players and referred to them as ‘famous’.
As one player was getting a leg massage, the Anchorman star provoked laughter by saying: ‘That is a beefy thigh there
‘Is that relaxing or painful or both?’ Ferrell asked after the laughter subsided.
‘Bit of both,’ the player responded.
Ferrell continued to let the jokes fly, asking a staff member across the room if he ‘needed a rub down’.
‘These are magic hands’ Ferell joked.
He then jokingly asks the athletes about club owners McElhenney and Reynolds, asking: ‘Do you guys like Ryan and Rob or not really? You can be honest.’
Ferrell’s question was met with laughter and no response. The Anchorman star gave the players a hand gesture suggesting their impartial stance as an answer. ‘Rob is good. Ryan? Dodgy Canadian.’
Away from the ground the actor was seen popping into local pub The Turf, which is where Wrexham AFC is believed to have been initially formed 159 years ago.
Ferrell was snapped sitting around a table with several locals, as well as the owner Wayne Jones prior to the match.
He then sent a message out to all the club’s 580,000 followers on X, formerly known as Twitter, after taking control of a camera and recording a video of himself on the pitch.
The comic actor teased supporters by pretending to ‘fix my hair’ in front of the camera for almost 20 seconds, before holding the lens right up close to his face.
‘Hi, it’s Will Ferrell, and this is my first time here – where are we again? Wrexham!’ he joked.
‘I’m just really excited to see the match, I’ll be honest with you, I’m a little nervous!’ he continued, before staring into the lens and walking off.
Ferrell’s relationship with football goes far beyond his 2005 film ‘Kicking & Screaming’ – he has been seen regularly attending matches and has posed for pictures with the likes of Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Two years after its founding in 2014, Ferrell became a co-owner of Los Angeles FC in MLS. LAFC won the MLS Cup in 2022 after beating the Philadelphia Union in penalties.
He will be hoping for similar success at Leeds United following his decision to invest in the West Yorkshire club.
News of his decision to buy in was revealed on Saturday, after it was confirmed The Whites would have to go through the play-offs in their battle for promotion to the Premier League.
Will Ferrell has reportedly brought a stake in Leeds after falling in love with English football
The 56-year-old has pumped a ‘large’ stake into Leeds’ American owners 49ers Enterprises
Leeds missed out on automatic promotion from the Championship, but are in the play-offs
The Elf star is a huge sports fan, and became one of the co-owners of MLS side LAFC in 2016
The Sun on Sunday reported Ferrell has pumped a ‘large’ stake into Leeds’ American owners 49ers Enterprises.
An insider said: ‘It’s true – Will Ferrell owns a share of Leeds.
‘The 49ers will be announcing his involvement in the coming days and he’s looking forward to sprinkling a little stardust on the club.
‘He loves soccer and has been particularly impressed by the passion of the English game.’
The move is viewed as ‘a serious investment opportunity’, with Leeds potentially just three games from returning to the Premier League.
The club’s ‘massive fanbase’ has also been cited as a reason behind the business deal, with the source adding: ‘He knows his football and he is determined to help bring back the glory days to Leeds’.
A spokesman for Leeds said: ‘We would never comment on the status of individual investors.
‘It would be up to them to comment on any stake they have in the club.’
He is far from the first famous face to put their money into the beautiful game.
Actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took over Wrexham in 2020, and have overseen back-to-back promotions which mean the North Wales club will play League 1 football next season.
Perhaps another taking inspiration from the pair is NFL star Tom Brady – who retired from gridiron football a year ago – after he bought a minority stake in Birmingham City FC last August.
Ferrell chatted with Ted Lesso actors Brendan Hunt and Jason Sudeikis at LAFC’s 2024 opener
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have celebrated back-to-back promotions with Wrexham
Always Sunny actor Rob and Deadpool star Ryan have sprinkled stardust on the team – with documentary series Welcome to Wrexham giving the team a global audience (pictured: the pair discussing the series with Jimmy Kimmel in LA a year ago)
Former NFL star Tom Brady (in sunglasses) bought a minority stake in Birmingham City football club last year
Brady, a former quarterback for the New England Patriots (pictured here in 2020), heads up a new advisory board guiding player fitness and wellbeing
Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom chairs a new advisory board for the team, and applies his ‘extensive leadership experience and expertise’ across health, nutrition and wellness for the EFL Championship side.
The quarterback said of the move into ‘soccer’: ‘Birmingham is an iconic club with so much history and passion and to be part of the Blues is a real honour for me.’
However, things have not gone quite so well for him after Birmingham were relegated to League One after an atrocious mid-season slump following the sacking of manager John Eustace who was replaced by former England striker Wayne Rooney.
Black Panther actor Michael B Jordan was announced as a part-owner of Premier League Bournemouth in 2022 – and earlier this year, it was reported that he was creating a kit for Cherries to wear.
In March it was revealed that Boyzone stars Shane Lynch and Keith Duffy, and Brian McFadden of Westlife, had joined forces to buy non-league outfit Chorley FC in Lancashire.
Appearing on Good Morning Britain to discuss their plans, Brian said he and Keith were brought on board at Shane’s suggestion after his performance car business, Assetti Performance, bought a stake in the club earlier this year.
He told Susanna Reid and Richard Madeley: ‘It was definitely our dream as kids but I don’t think we ever thought it was going to happen.
‘It all happened with Shane Lynch – his motorsport company are the guys who bought Chorley FC and they came to Shane and asked if he would be interested in being involved in the club.
‘He said ‘I don’t really know much about football but I know two lads that do,’ so he called us and here we are, we’re now part of Chorley Football Club.’
Brian (left) and Keith (right) have joined ex-Boyzone teen dream Shane Lynch (centre) in taking a stake in the club
Keith Duffy and Brian McFadden – the ex-Boyzone and Westlife stars now performing as Boyzlife – are the latest celebrities to pool their pocket money into a football club
But they are far from the first big names to get involved in owning club sides: Sir Elton John acquired boyhood team Watford in 1976 and oversaw a period of huge success (Sir Elton pictured here at the ground in 2014)
Delia Smith and her husband Michael Wynn Jones (right) have owned Norwich City FC since 1996 (pictured here last week with player Kenny McLean)
Smith is still remembered for her 2005 rallying cry of ‘Let’s be ‘avin you!’ to fans as the club battled to avoid relegation
Michael B Jordan is in the process of designing a kit for Premier League team Bournemouth
Grime star Stormzy – full name Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr – formed part of a conglomerate that purchased AFC Croydon Athletic last year
Involvement in the English leagues by British celebrities has been a bit more common, with perhaps the most famous example being acclaimed TV chef Delia Smith’s continued ownership of Norwich City FC.
Delia joined the board of the club in 1996 alongside her husband Michael Wynn Jones in 1996 at a time of serious financial problems for the side, which had also suffered relegation to the then-First Division.
And her tenure has been marked with memorable moments – not least her rousing rallying cry to fans in February 2005 during a relegation battle with Manchester City in which she bellowed: ‘Who are you? Let’s be ‘avin you! Come on!’
Singer Elton John was among the earliest adopters of famaous faces injecting money into their local team, joining the board in 1974 and becoming chair of the club in 1976.
Rocketman Elton propelled the club to its first ever top-tier competitive season in 1982 with Graham Taylor as manager after climbing from the lowest rung on the ladder in just seven years.
The singer’s interest waned and he sold the club in 1990 to businessman Jack Petchey. But Elton then bought the club back in 1996 following years of struggle, reappointing Taylor as manager.
He then remained chair of the club until 2002, but is now honorary life president. The east stand was recently renamed the Sir Elton John stand in his honour while a nearby street was renamed Yellow Brick Road after his seminal 1973 album.
In 2023, rapper Stormzy joined a consortium including Wilfried Zaha to buy Combined Counties League Premier Division South club Croydon Athletic.
It was a poignant purchase for the rapper – real name Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr – who was born in Croydon and grew up in nearby Norbury; Zaha also grew up in Croydon after moving there from Cote D’Ivoire at the age of four.
‘The consortium (referring to Stormzy, Zaha and Young) will own, operate and develop their childhood hometown football club,’ a statement issued last June announcing the acquisition read.
‘The three consortium members are excited about developing a community asset in the borough that gave them their own opportunities. They hope to take the entire community on this exciting journey with them.’
Ex-Little Mix star Jade Thirwall was one of the fans who helped to invest nearly £300,000 in South Shields FC back in 2020.
