Nico Williams Injury Concerns for Spain Ahead of World Cup

Spain’s countdown to the World Cup has taken another jolt. This time, it is Nico Williams.

The Athletic Club winger pulled up with what appeared to be a hamstring injury during his side’s 1-0 home defeat to Valencia in La Liga on Sunday, a worrying sight for both club and country barely a month out from the tournament in North America.

He went down before half-time at San Mamés, immediately signalling trouble. The 23-year-old left the pitch with a grim, distraught expression, then reappeared on the bench with a pad strapped to his left hamstring. For Spain, the image will linger.

This is not a one-off scare. Williams already missed several weeks earlier this year with another injury, and the timing of this latest setback could hardly be worse. He has become a key part of Luis de la Fuente’s attacking options, offering direct running and end product on the flank.

Since his debut for Spain in 2022, Williams has scored six goals in 30 appearances for the national team. His club form has matched that influence: six goals and seven assists in 32 games for Athletic this season underline just how central he has become to Ernesto Valverde’s side.

On Sunday, the concern around San Mamés was immediate and visible.

“He was limping a lot. He hadn’t felt that type of pain before,” his brother and teammate Inaki Williams said afterwards. “It’s concerning, considering the moment we are in right now. Let’s wait and hope for the best possible scenario.”

That “moment” is brutally clear. Spain are already sweating on the fitness of Lamine Yamal, the Barcelona prodigy who suffered a torn hamstring last month. Losing one dynamic wide forward is bad enough. Losing two, both central to the way Spain stretch and break opponents, would reshape de la Fuente’s plans in the space of a few weeks.

For now, there is only uncertainty. Athletic have not yet released any medical details on Nico Williams’s injury, leaving Spain’s staff waiting and watching like everyone else.

The clock does not stop, though. Spain’s World Cup schedule is set: they are drawn in Group H and will open their campaign in Atlanta, Georgia, against Cape Verde on June 15. Saudi Arabia follow, also in Atlanta, on June 21. Then comes a heavyweight meeting with Uruguay on June 26 in Guadalajara, Mexico — the kind of game where a player like Williams, at full throttle, could tilt the balance.

Before any of that, Luis de la Fuente must name a 55-man preliminary squad this week. On paper, that list is about abundance and choice. In reality, as Williams hobbled off and Yamal continues his recovery, it suddenly looks more like an exercise in contingency planning.

Spain still carry the weight of being European champions and 2010 world champions. The talent pool remains deep. But in the space of a month, two of their most electric forwards have become fitness doubts.

The World Cup is closing in. Now Spain must find out whether one of their key wide men will be there to meet it.