50,000 fans to attend Chelsea vs. Wrexham soccer exhibition Wednesday in Chapel Hill

Soccer takes center stage in the Triangle Wednesday as two top teams, Chelsea and Wrexham, square off.

The highly anticipated game is bringing people in from all over the world -- including Wrexham's owner, Ryan Reynolds.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to flock to Chapel Hill's Kenan Stadium Wednesday for the 2023 FC Series exhibition between Chelsea and Wrexham.

Chapel Hill is typically known for getting this type of attention for basketball, but now the town is getting put on the map by hosting the first international soccer match of this series.

Chapel Hill is the first stop on Wrexham's first U.S. tour.

Traffic will be heavy, with 50,000 fans expected to attend the soccer match. Chapel Hill Assistant Police Chief Josh Mecimore recommends drivers avoid Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard when heading into town.

In the yellow, shows directions from Interstate 40 East. Drivers will want to take 15-501 to Exit 270.

And highlighted in the green, if you're driving on I-40 West, you can get onto N.C. Highway 54 and take Exit 273A.

All Kenan Stadium parking lots will be open and available, but you have to purchase tickets for these lots before you get there. Rideshare and public transit is also encouraged.

"We have a lot of people who bike and walk on any given day," Mecimore said. "It'll be even more because of the game. It's important that the cars are looking out for those people and driving in a way that keeps everybody safe."

The exhibition is expected to bring $15 million into the local economy.

Tickets are sold out, and many surrounding hotels are completely booked.