Spain hit by another attacking setback with World Cup 2026 just one month away

Nico Williams’ World Cup 2026 hopes are in doubt after the Athletic Club winger suffered a fresh hamstring injury during another frustrating stop-start season, just one month before the tournament.

Ernesto Valverde is closing out a decade-long spell as Athletic Club manager during one of the most difficult seasons of his tenure, shaped heavily by injuries and Yeray Álvarez’s 10-month suspension for doping.

But the biggest blow to the team has been the stop-start availability of Oihan Sancet and, above all, Williams, who has struggled all season with persistent pubic discomfort. After multiple treatments, including work with an external specialist, he has now suffered a muscular injury in his hamstring.

“It can’t be,” said Nico Williams after the injury

Those were essentially the words read on Williams’ lips shortly after the half-hour mark during an attacking move down the left wing in Sunday’s game against Valencia. He immediately sat down in midfield after feeling a sharp pain and quickly asked to be substituted.

Medical tests carried out today confirmed the worst. An MRI revealed a “moderate injury to the hamstring muscles in his left leg,” according to the club’s medical report.

Setback comes at worst possible moment

Nico Williams, who was named MVP of the Euro 2024 final in Germany, limped off at halftime with an ice pack on his thigh. His season has been repeatedly disrupted by injuries, limiting him to just four completed matches.

In total, he has missed 17 games this season, including 10 in La Liga, five in the Champions League, one in the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup.

He will miss the final two league matches of the season and is expected to be sidelined for another one to two weeks at minimum, with hopes he can still recover in time for the World Cup. Sancet is dealing with a similar timeline in his own recovery.

Spain’s World Cup roster pressure builds

The diagnosis arrived on the same day the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) sent FIFA its provisional 55-player list for the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Nico Williams is included in that long list, from which the final 26-man squad will be selected.

He now has until June 2, when the final roster must be submitted, to prove his fitness and force his way into the squad. Several other players in contention for Luis de la Fuente’s team are also dealing with fitness concerns, including Lamine Yamal, Rodri, Mikel Merino, and Víctor Muñoz.

Brother Iñaki offers Williams support

Iñaki Williams tried to comfort his younger brother after the injury.

“What’s hard is that we lose him for these days,” he said. “We’re also close to the World Cup, but the toughest part is that we can’t count on him in these final matches.”

He also revealed the severity of the situation from Nico’s perspective.

“I’ve spoken to him just enough. It’s not the moment to overwhelm him, and he has a lot on his mind. He was walking quite badly. He said he had never felt pain like that before.”

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