Spain Sweat on Nico Williams Again After Athletic Forward Limps Off Against Valencia
The 23-year-old Euro 2024 winner left the pitch with apparent discomfort during Sunday's LaLiga clash, 32 days before the World Cup opens. The latest setback follows a persistent pubalgia issue that has dogged his season.
S pain's preparations for the 2026 World Cup took another worrying turn on Sunday after Nico Williams left the field injured during Athletic Club's LaLiga visit to Valencia. The Athletic forward, a Euro 2024 winner with La Roja, walked off appearing visibly distressed with 32 days to go before the tournament opens in Mexico City on June 11.
Athletic Club have not yet announced the exact nature of the problem, and a formal medical update is expected in the coming days. The 23-year-old has been managing chronic pubalgia for much of the season, an abdominal-region complaint that has already cost him significant playing time and triggered repeated questions over his fitness for the World Cup.
De la Fuente leans on his attacking patterns
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has spent the spring monitoring the case closely. Williams has been a regular starter in the national team since his breakout summer in Germany, and his ability to stretch defences from the left flank has become one of de la Fuente's signature attacking patterns. A prolonged absence would force the bench to lean harder on Lamine Yamal, Mikel Oyarzabal and the returning Pedri to provide width and creation.
Finalissima against Argentina now in doubt
According to reports from football-espana and Yahoo Sports, the latest setback makes Williams almost certain to miss the Finalissima fixture against Argentina later this spring, the high-profile pre-tournament test that pits the European champions against the reigning world champions. Whether he can still recover in time for the squad announcement and the opener is now the open question.
Conservative treatment or surgery
The decision tree is familiar to anyone who has tracked his case since February: keep with the conservative treatment that has shown signs of progress, or escalate to surgery, a route Athletic and the player have been trying to avoid because it would extend recovery into a window that overlaps the entire group stage. Spain begin their World Cup campaign on June 15 against Cape Verde in Atlanta as part of Group H, with de la Fuente set to name his preliminary squad in the days ahead.