Wrexham fans are already salivating at the idea of the Red Dragons strutting their stuff in the second tier next season, but there are three teams in the Championship that they’ll know very little about.
Against all the odds, Wrexham managed to secure second place in League One this season and clinch automatic promotion to the Championship at the first time of asking.
The historic back-to-back-to-back promotion for Wrexham is an EFL first, and continues the incredible journey the Red Dragons have been on under Phil Parkinson.
It will be a massive step-up for Wrexham heading into the second tier, of course, with a highly competitive league full of big teams and big budgets.
Whether Wrexham can achieve the impossible and challenge for promotion again or not remains to be seen, but we already know they will complete a few firsts once again next season.
A season of firsts on the way for Wrexham
Not only will this be the first season back in the second tier for 43 years for Wrexham, but they’ll also play league fixtures against three teams that they’ve never played before.
Incredibly, throughout their 160-year history, Wrexham have never played a league game against West Brom, Ipswich Town, or Middlesbrough.
West Brom and Wrexham have played each other twice in the past, though both were in cup competitions; a 1-0 win in the FA Cup way back in 1930, and a 2-1 defeat in the Watney Cup in 1971.
Similarly, Ipswich have faced Wrexham just once in the past, suffering a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Red Dragons in the FA Cup in 1995.
As for Middlesbrough, there have been three meetings, all in the cups. Boro won a League Cup clash 2-0 back in 1972, while Wrexham triumphed twice in the FA Cup in 1974 and 1999.
It will be fascinating, then, to see how Wrexham cope with these new challenges, but as we’ve already seen from this incredible team, very little will faze them next year.
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What can Wrexham realistically achieve in 2025/26?
So, how far can Wrexham actually go in the Championship next season? Ryan Reynolds is optimistic about Wrexham’s chances, while Rob McElhenney insists they are not aiming to ‘consolidate’ in the forthcoming campaign.
Wrexham will spend big, at least by their own already lofty standards, and will certainly be aiming to compete in the upper reaches of the division.
Everyone doubted Wrexham at the start of this season, and look how that turned out.
It would be a realistic and successful season if Wrexham were to simply avoid relegation next year, but we know they will not rest on their laurels and will want more.
Another promotion surely can’t happen, but there’s no reason why the Red Dragons can’t achieve a comfortable and respectable midtable finish in 2025/26.