Nico Williams reached the heights of glory at Euro 2024, being crowned the final’s MVP and forging a memorable partnership with Lamine Yamal. He was even nominated for the ‘Ballon d'Or’ award following that tournament.

However, since that glorious night, the Athletic Club winger has never been the same again. An unexpected string of injuries has dogged him like a curse and robbed him of consistency.

A groin strain prevented him from maintaining consistency: he missed 18 matches and, although he tried to take a break in February to seek alternative treatments, he was never able to regain the electrifying form he had previously displayed.

Despite only just making the cut, Luis de la Fuente included him in the squad for the 2026 World Cup, gradually giving him playing time during the group stage. But the ghosts returned in the closing stages of the first half against Uruguay.

In an extremely physical match, a brutal tackle by Nicolás de la Cruz in stoppage time set off all the alarm bells. The subsequent medical report confirmed the worst fears: a muscle injury to his right adductor.

This setback halted his progress and forced the manager to rearrange the line-up ahead of the round of 16 clash against Austria, as Nico Williams would only be available for a hypothetical quarter-final.

However, far from hiding behind the medical report, the player himself decided to break his silence and took it upon himself to explain first-hand how he has had to overcome this physical ordeal.

Nico Williams’ account of his injuries

“There were days when I couldn’t get out of bed, go to the toilet or train, and I often had to train and play whilst on medication,” said the 23-year-old winger in an intimate interview with ‘RTVE’ during the World Cup.

His day-to-day life was far from easy, but it helped him mature. “These are situations in life that I had to go through. It happened to me and it has made me grow as a person and as a professional,” Nico Williams acknowledged.

“It was a year and a half of suffering, sadness, uncertainty and anxiety. I didn’t know when I’d be able to play again without pain or when I’d get my normal life back,” he added.

Due to this ‘ordeal’ of injuries, the winger’s statistics and impact have dropped considerably compared to his breakthrough year, in which he was crowned European Championship winner with Spain.

Nico Williams’ 2024–25 season:

  • 45 matches

  • 11 goals

  • 7 assists

Nico Williams’ 2025–26 season:

  • 32 matches

  • 6 goals

  • 5 assists

Chronic groin pain put his development as an elite footballer on hold, but it has not dampened his dream of playing in a World Cup. Luis de la Fuente has put his faith in him, even though he was not in peak form.

However, just as it seemed there might be light at the end of the tunnel, a new injury struck during the match against Uruguay on matchday three of the group stage.

“There were days when I couldn’t get out of bed, go to the toilet or train” – Nico Williams

Praying to the Virgin Mary and the injury against Uruguay

With just a few minutes to go, a heavy challenge from Nicolás de la Cruz forced Nico Williams to undergo scans due to unbearable pain. “It’s the worst day of my life,” wrote the Spanish winger after the match.

“I’ve got injured again after a very difficult year, in which groin pain won many battles against me, but not the war,” he explained.

By that point, the Spanish international had already lost hope… He himself admitted that he had to put his fate in the hands of faith.

“At first, I was devastated after getting injured because I already knew what had happened to me. When they carried out the tests, I prayed a little to see if the Virgin Mary had appeared to me, and luckily she did,” he said.

Fortunately for him – and for Luis de la Fuente – the results showed that the damage to his adductor muscle was much less severe than expected. As a result, the footballer is now working against the clock to speed up his recovery.

“I’m quite stubborn. It’s true that I’m trying to be back as soon as possible. The very day I picked up the injury, I was feeling a bit down. By the next day, I’d already made up my mind that I wanted to help the team, come what may – to train and try to speed up the recovery process,” he summarised.

Maturing and looking ahead

At just 23 years of age, Nico Williams has learnt that the elite of football waits for no one and that these setbacks will help him learn how to bounce back when his spirits are low.

For the Spanish winger, it’s now a matter of being resilient and waiting for the right moment to shine again on the pitch, so he can help his national team.

“Now it’s time to learn to endure hardship once again, to keep my chin up because that’s how life is and it spares no one… I’ll be back with a smile, as always,” the footballer declared.

Will he make it to the decisive stages of the World Cup?

“Finding happiness in playing football again is my top priority, along with getting my smile back. Because without a smile, without enjoying myself and without being happy, I can’t perform at my best. I’ll get through this,” he assured.

He’s absolutely certain: yes.