Inaki Williams Ends Ghana International Career
Inaki Williams has drawn a line under his international career with Ghana, bringing a brief but emotionally charged chapter to a close.
The 32-year-old Athletic Club forward confirmed his decision in a post on social media, saying he felt "the time has come to bring my journey with the Ghana national team to an end." He walks away with 28 caps and two goals, but the numbers barely scratch the surface of what the shirt meant to him.
A Late Start, A Full Heart
Williams only made his Ghana debut in September 2022, a late arrival on the international stage after earlier appearances for Spain at youth level and a 2016 senior friendly. Born in Bilbao to Ghanaian parents, he chose the Black Stars in his thirties, answering a call that had always lingered in the background of his career.
In less than four years, he squeezed in just about every major stage available to him. He played at the 2022 and 2026 Fifa World Cups and featured at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. This year, he appeared twice at the World Cup before Ghana were knocked out in the last 32 by Colombia.
For Williams, the experience ran deeper than tournaments and scorelines.
"It has allowed me to come back home, feel even closer to my roots and experience the enormous pride of representing my country and wearing this flag on my chest," he wrote. He spoke of leaving "happy, proud and with the peace of mind of knowing that I gave everything every time I wore this shirt."
Two Brothers, Two Paths
His story with Ghana has always been intertwined with that of his younger brother Nico. Both grew up in Bilbao, both broke through at Athletic Club, yet their international paths split.
While Inaki chose Ghana, Nico opted for Spain. The younger Williams has since become a World Cup and European Championship winner with La Roja, underlining the unique dual-identity of the family and the different roads available to them.
Inaki’s decision to represent Ghana carried its own weight. It was about heritage, about returning to where his parents came from, about putting down roots in a place he had long carried in his heart.
A Farewell Amid Change
His announcement comes at a moment of transition for Ghana. Just a week earlier, the Ghana Football Association confirmed that Carlos Queiroz would return as national team coach to lead the build-up to the 2027 Afcon, to be hosted across Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
Queiroz will now shape the next phase of the Black Stars without one of the most high-profile diaspora recruits of recent years. Williams, though, insists his bond with the team does not end with his last cap.
He said his time with Ghana had given him "much more than football" and closed his message with a simple promise and a nod to the future: "Ghana will always be a part of me. I will continue supporting the Black Stars as one of you, wherever I am."
