Wrexham AFC brought in two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning as a fan ambassador for their League One match against Birmingham City on Monday. Notably, Tom Brady, another legendary quarterback, owns a 3.3% stake in Birmingham City.

Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney enlisted Eli Manning, who famously defeated Tom Brady twice in the Super Bowl, for a playful gesture before their match against the Blues.

Eli Manning wearing Wrexham FC kit, taking a jab at Tom Brady

McElhenney shared a split photo on X, showing Eli in a Wrexham red shirt and pointing at the team's dragon crest. The caption humorously read: “We are honored that Eli Manning has coincidentally (because Co-chairmen Rob McElhenney and Ryan begged him) joined the Wrexham fanbase, just in time for our match over at Tom Brady's Birmingham on Monday night.”

Manning reacted and retweeted to the post saying: “Now I can beat Tom Brady in football and futbol. Go Wrexham.”

Birmingham responded swiftly to Wrexham’s dig by taking a jab at Eli Manning, the younger brother of Peyton Manning.

Peyton Manning earned the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award five times throughout his illustrious career.

“As we say in Birmingham, Eli Manning – “WHO!?”, Birmingham tweeted.

“Tom Brady – not just the goat, also the best in his family,” they continued.

Wrexham AFC and Birmingham City's history

Historically, Birmingham City has dominated Wrexham in their 10 encounters since 1928, securing five wins and two draws. Wrexham AFC has managed to beat Birmingham only twice: once in a 1979 Division Two game and again in 1997 with a 3-1 victory in the FA Cup.

McElhenney also shared the photo with his 1.1 million followers, captioning it: “Tom, I’m sure we both see this face in our nightmares, but I’m starting to like him.” Reynolds also posted the image, noting that it perfectly aligns with the club’s social media vibe.

Fans embraced the playful banter, but Brady hasn't commented on the joke yet. While Brady has a 2-1 regular-season advantage over Eli Manning, Manning boasts a 2-0 record in the playoffs, where he led his teams to Super Bowl titles in 2008 and 2012.

Eli Manning and Tom Brady's rivalry

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) and New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) shake hands after a preseason game at Gillette Stadium.
Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Manning and Brady’s on-field rivalry has become a pop culture fixture since Manning’s second Super Bowl win, which disrupted Bill Belichick’s perfect season.

Fans labeled Manning as Brady’s kryptonite, puzzled by his knack for defeating the Patriots. Despite New England's high-scoring performances throughout the first eight weeks of the season, including a 52-7 rout of the Washington Commanders, the team fell to its lowest point total of the year in the 17-14 Super Bowl defeat.

Manning captured two Super Bowl titles during his 15-year career with the New York Giants, defeating Brady’s New England Patriots in both victories. He is also a “strategic investor” in NJ/NY Gotham FC of the NWSL.

Brady, who played 23 NFL seasons—20 with the Patriots and the final three with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers—is often hailed as the greatest quarterback of all time.

Eli Manning has playfully referenced his dominance over Tom Brady in various jokes. When explaining his absence from Netflix's live roast of Brady, Manning quipped, “I thought about attending the Roast of Tom Brady last night, but I did not want to Roast him for a 3rd time!”