Nico Williams Injury Worries Spain Ahead of World Cup

Spain’s World Cup build-up took another jolt on Sunday. This time, it was Nico Williams.

The Athletic Club winger pulled up with what appeared to be a hamstring injury in the first half of his side’s 1-0 home defeat to Valencia in La Liga, and the alarm bells in Spain rang instantly. With the tournament in North America now just a month away, every grimace matters. This one looked serious.

Williams went down before the break, immediately clutching his left leg. He left the pitch with a distraught expression, then reappeared on the bench, a pad strapped to his left hamstring, his night over and his summer suddenly in doubt. Earlier this year he had already missed several weeks through injury; this latest setback comes at the worst possible time for club and country.

For Luis de la Fuente, the timing could hardly be more brutal. Williams has become a key part of Spain’s new-look attack since his debut in 2022, scoring six goals in 30 appearances for the national team and adding pace, width and direct running that few in the squad can replicate. His club form has mirrored that influence: six goals and seven assists in 32 games for Athletic this season underline his evolution into a genuine difference-maker.

Now, all that momentum hangs on a scan result.

A Growing Injury List

Spain were already fretting over Lamine Yamal. The Barcelona prodigy suffered a torn hamstring last month, casting doubt over his readiness for the World Cup. Losing one electric wide forward is a problem. Potentially losing two, both central to Spain’s attacking identity, would reshape de la Fuente’s plans entirely.

On Sunday night at San Mamés, you could feel that anxiety on the pitch. Inaki Williams, who watched his younger brother hobble off, did not hide his concern.

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

The words matched the images: Nico’s face as he came off told its own story.

Athletic have yet to release any official diagnosis or timeline. Until they do, Spain can only wait.

Countdown to North America

The clock, however, does not stop. Spain are locked into a demanding Group H at the World Cup, with a schedule that leaves little margin for error or rust.

They open in Atlanta, Georgia, against Cape Verde on June 15, then stay in the city to face Saudi Arabia on June 21. The final group game, against Uruguay in Guadalajara, Mexico on June 26, already looked like a heavyweight clash. It may now double as a test of Spain’s depth if key attacking pieces are missing or short of rhythm.

De la Fuente is due to name a 55-man preliminary squad this week, a long list that usually feels theoretical. Suddenly, it carries real weight. Every wide forward, every flexible attacker, every player with the legs to stretch a defence moves up the pecking order in importance.

Spain, European champions and 2010 World Cup winners, have built their latest version on energy and verticality in the final third, with Yamal and Nico Williams symbolising that shift. If both arrive at the tournament compromised, the coach may be forced to redraw his blueprint on the fly.

For now, all eyes turn back to Bilbao and the medical room at Athletic. One scan result there could reshape Spain’s entire summer.