The EFL made the decision after Birmingham asked to play Wrexham’s league match in the US

The EFL made the decision after Birmingham City requested that their League One match against Wrexham be played in the United States.

The two clubs will meet in the third tier of English football next season following Birmingham’s relegation from the Championship and Wrexham’s promotion from League Two.

Both clubs have American ownership, which prompted Birmingham to make the extraordinary request.

The Midlands side was taken over by a US group in July 2023, with legendary former NFL player Tom Brady becoming a minority investor a month later.

Wrexham was taken over by Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in 2020 and the actors have since overseen back-to-back promotions.

The Welsh club’s reputation in the US has grown massively thanks to the popular documentary about the club, Welcome to Wrexham.

Keen to increase their presence and visibility in the US, Birmingham bosses have asked the EFL if their 2024-25 home game against Wrexham could be played in the United States instead of St Andrews.

According to the Daily Mail, the proposal was quickly turned down by EFL chiefs, much to Birmingham’s disappointment.

If the request had been accepted, then the match would have created history by being the first English league match to be played outside of England or Wales.

The idea of ​​playing Premier League matches abroad has gained momentum in recent years, with some club executives backing the idea.

As expected, the vast majority of fans are opposed to the idea and it appears there would have been a significant backlash from Birmingham and Wrexham supporters had the move been approved.

In April, New York-based event promoter Relevent Sports dropped its antitrust lawsuit against FIFA, which had been working its way through the US court system since 2019.

In a statement to Athletic, Relevent Sports indicated that the agreement was reached “while FIFA considers changes to its existing rules regarding whether games can be played outside a league’s home territory.”