Necaxa Review: Eva Longoria’s Docuseries Tries to Replicate ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ — But Falls Short
Eva Longoria’s new FXX and Hulu docuseries Necaxa attempts to ride the wave of sports documentary success brought on by Welcome to Wrexham. With big names like Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney (now Rob Mac) also involved, the show had the right ingredients — but the execution doesn’t quite match its predecessor.
A New Player in the “Celebrity Buys Soccer Team” Genre
Over the past few years, a new entertainment niche has emerged — celebrities investing in struggling sports teams and documenting the journey. Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s Welcome to Wrexham became a breakout hit in this space. Now, within just ten days, Necaxa, Built in Birmingham (featuring Tom Brady), and Running with the Wolves (with Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos) have all joined the roster.
Among these, Necaxa stands out as a direct offshoot, featuring Eva Longoria as an investor in Club Necaxa, a historic Liga MX team in Mexico. Despite the promising premise, the show struggles to find its own identity.
What Necaxa Does Differently — and Why It Doesn’t Always Work
Unlike its British counterpart, Necaxa is primarily told in Spanish and focuses on Longoria’s cultural connection to Mexico. The show explores her background, her Mexican roots, and her journey alongside her husband José Bastón. While this emotional thread offers promise, it lacks narrative control due to Longoria’s limited stake and influence in the team.
The comparison to Welcome to Wrexham becomes difficult to avoid, especially since both Reynolds and Mac also hold a share in Necaxa’s ownership. Their presence in the series, however, feels like an afterthought — a few talking-head appearances filmed in generic hotel settings add little substance.
As noted in the original Hollywood Reporter review, the show tries to emulate Wrexham’s multi-layered storytelling but skips over the foundation-building that made the latter work so well.
Lacking Agency, Lacking Drama
One of the key flaws in Necaxa is that Eva Longoria has very little actual authority or presence in the team’s daily operations. Unlike Reynolds and Mac — who bought Wrexham outright and have a real influence on the club’s direction — Longoria is part of a larger, unclear investment group. Her role seems more symbolic than operational.
That lack of agency becomes a structural problem for the show. Without a central driving force, the storytelling feels scattered. The episodes try to juggle emotional arcs, team drama, and community involvement but rarely succeed in tying these threads together effectively.
Community and Culture — Missed Opportunities
Another cornerstone of Welcome to Wrexham is its deep connection to the community. Necaxa attempts this by featuring stories from locals in Aguascalientes — the city the team now calls home. Some stories, like that of a dedicated burrito vendor, are compelling. Others, like a random kid who switches from anti-fan to fan in one episode, feel trivial.
Additionally, the docuseries doesn’t do a great job of explaining Liga MX’s unique two-tournament structure. This makes following the club’s performance — and the stakes of each match — unnecessarily confusing for international audiences.
Final Thoughts: A Polished but Shaky Start
While Necaxa has high production values and a heartfelt intent, it remains overshadowed by the series it seeks to emulate. Longoria’s cultural journey is touching but lacks narrative weight. The community stories are hit-or-miss. And the soccer drama struggles under the weight of poor structural explanation.
Still, it’s not a bad show — just an underwhelming one for fans expecting another Wrexham.
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