Eva Longoria speaks out after buying into team alongside Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney

Eva Longoria has spoken out about her decision to buy into a Colombian soccer team with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

The Desperate Housewives actress has joined with the Wrexham co-owners and members of the star-studded Tylis-Porter investment group to acquire a stake in Bogota-based club La Equidad .

The deal worth more than $30million was confirmed last month and saw them acquire a 99 per cent stake in the Categoria Primera A outfit.

Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander , model Kate Upton and NFL player Odell Beckham Jr are among the other celebs involved.

The consortium is fronted by real estate investor Al Tylis and sports executive Sam Porter.

It's the third soccer team Reynolds and McElhenney have invested in, and the second for the Tylis-Porter group, after they previously joined together to purchase a stake of around 50 per cent in Mexican side Club Necaxa.

A five per cent share in Wrexham was also sold to the Liga MX team's ownership as part of a reciprocal arrangement.

Longoria made an appearance with Reynolds at Wrexham's opening game of the season against Wycombe in August last year.

The 49-year-old has now opened up about the growing trend for North American celebs to invest in soccer teams after explaining her own motivation.

"My approach to it is as an entrepreneur," she told The Athletic .

"We can do a good investment and at the same time I can make a difference with my platform to get more press, sponsorships and media coverage that help the investment.

"I feel like sports is entertainment.

Storytelling through soccer is so powerful because the stakes are so high.

The drama of winning and losing, injuries, firing a coach, bringing in a new player - the excitement is built-in drama.

"You could never write this.

I was like, 'Wow, this is this is the biggest soap opera Ive ever seen' Every player has a story.

Every team has a story.

Every town has a story." Following the success of the Welcome to Wrexham documentary, charting Reynolds and McElhenney's journey with their Welsh team, Necaxa's owners have already filmed their own docuseries.

The TV show is called Bienvenido a Necaxa (Welcome to Necaxa), and has been commissioned by FX and Disney+ Latin America.

Among the executive producers are Longoria, Reynolds and McElhenney, who will also appear on screen.

Longoria revealed she has enjoyed a hands-on role at Necaxa, keeping a close eye on their games and regularly messaging the head coach and players.

She also lifted the lid on Tylis and Porter's data-driven approach to sports ownership after detailing their approach to the La Equidad purchase.

She said: "I sat with Sam and Al in New York.

Sam is the Moneyball guy, like the Bill Gates of sports.

I know Colombia is a country with a very rich soccer history and an immense amount of talent.

"Everybodys invested in their hometown team.

Its been interesting to approach sports with this analytical lens instead of just being like, My favorite team is Real Madrid or the Dallas Cowboys'.

"But to really get granular and analytical about players, wins, losses, rankings and playoff spots, that to me is fascinating.

I just get blown away by the process.

I dont think Ill be stopping anytime soon." While Welcome to Wrexham has been a huge success, Longoria voiced caution over using TV shows to elevate sports teams as a one-size-fits-all approach.

She intends to visit Bogota in person before deciding whether to pursue a series on La Equidad.

Meanwhile, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia star McElhenney expressed his belief that sports can be a unifying force for good, connecting fans of teams from all over the globe.

He said: "When you look at Necaxa, Wrexham and La Equidad, they have traditionally been good, theres a rich history, but they dont have the resources that a lot of the clubs up at the top have.

"Even though its different countries, continents or languages, we look for similar identifying principles.

Do they have a rabid fanbase looking for a group of people to come in and help them achieve their goal?" He added: "We can make those connections all across the world; if you are a fan of Wrexham, you should be a fan of Necaxa or La Equidad.

We all have the same needs, wants, loves and heartbreak, so lets link arms and follow each other.".

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