Nico Williams suffered a muscle injury to his right adductor after a strong impact caused by a tackle in the match against Uruguay (1-0), confirmed the medical report. The Athletic Bilbao winger, who had already arrived at the 2026 World Cup with physical complaints, left the Guadalajara Stadium visibly affected, downcast, and limping significantly, indicating the seriousness of the situation. His availability for the remainder of the tournament now depends on clinical evolution. Although it is hard to imagine his return to competition, the fact that the injury is of moderate grade does not completely rule him out of the World Cup. After learning the diagnosis, the player posted a long and emotional message on his social media, in which he lamented the incident and harshly criticized the action of Nico De la Cruz, the Uruguayan player involved in the play. Williams described the moment as “one of the worst days” of his life, recalling a particularly difficult past year. “I am injured again after a very complicated year, in which pubalgia defeated me in many battles, but not the war. I managed to overcome it with work, sacrifice, and, above all, responsibility,” he wrote. The player shared the suffering he faced, detailing the impact that injuries had on his daily life. “It has been a year and a half of suffering, sadness, uncertainty, and anxiety. I didn’t know when I would play again without pain or when I would recover a normal life. I even had to live with pain in simple things like going to the bathroom, getting in and out of the car, or simply enjoying day-to-day life,” he confessed. Regarding the incident that caused the new injury, Williams was blunt: “Yesterday, I was given a new injury after an action in which a fellow professional acted out of frustration, discontent, and sadness due to the situation he was going through. It was a play that, in my opinion, could have been avoided because it was completely unnecessary.” Despite the setback, the winger showed resilience and determination to return. “But this will not stop me. I know that God has a plan for me, and I will continue to fight until the last moment to do what I love most: play football, be happy, and bring joy to many,” he assured, ending with a promise: “The story is not over; we will see each other as soon as possible in this World Cup.”
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