At the 2024 Euros, Nico Williams was part of a thrilling, more expansive side thanks partly to the pace and direct dribbling threat he had offered on the left. Coupled with Lamine Yamal's similar threat down the right, Spain, while staying true to their principles of possession as the means to the end, added pace and verticality. At this World Cup, it's been more 2010 than 2024.
One big reason why was Nico's bit-part role in the US, Mexico and Canada. He was coming off an injury he had picked up for Athletic, so the coach, Luis de la Fuente, was cautious. And, as the tournament progressed, De la Fuente settled for Alex Baena's more judicious use of the ball than Williams' more explosive capabilities down that side.
When it mattered most, though, Williams was waiting. On as a substitute in the second half, he stretched to keep a deep cross from the right in play. He beat his marker and put it on a plate for the onrushing Ferran Torres, who crashed home what proved to be the winner in the 106th minute.
Over 32 years ago, Maria Arthuer, Nico's mother, had also stretched. While pregnant with Inaki, (Nico's elder brother who plays for Ghana), Felix (her husband) and she left Ghana for Spain via the Sahara desert. In a gut-wrenching interview for The Guardian in October 2021, Inaki revealed the details of the journey his parents took. It was barefoot, without water, before climbing the fence into Melilla, Spain's North African enclave.
“They reached Melilla, climbed the fence and the civil guard detained them," Inaki told the guardian. "They didn’t have papers and came as migrants, so you get sent back. When they were in jail a lawyer from (the Catholic aid organisation) Caritas who spoke English said: ‘The only thing you can try is tell them you’re from a country at war.’ They tore up their Ghanaian papers and said they were from Liberia to apply for political asylum. Thanks to him, we arrived in Bilbao.”
Fight against racism
From there, their story has been one of survival, grit, and determination before football showed the family a way. However, more recently, both brothers have faced racist abuse in La Liga.
The 24-year-old, who has been the subject of transfer talk to some of Europe's biggest clubs in the past, had said that fighting racism is a big task for him. "My brother (Inaki) and I," he had told El Mundo, "as black people, have an important task in this life, which is the fight against racism. It's my number one goal. As a public figure, in order to contribute to that fight, I cannot be sidetracked or become a freak and not have my feet on the ground."
On Sunday afternoon, in the biggest football match of his life, his assist gave Spain a second star.