Nico Williams blames Uruguay frustration for World Cup muscle injury: 'One of the worst days of my life'
Spanish winger Nico Williams faces a race to play any further part in the 2026 World Cup after a muscle injury sustained against Uruguay, which he attributes to a frustration-driven tackle by Nicolás de la Cruz.
Injury blow
Nico Williams’s 2026 World Cup involvement is in serious doubt after the Spain attacker suffered a muscle injury during the group-stage match against Uruguay on 26 June. The 23-year-old, who had only recently overcome a persistent pubalgia and a later ischium problem, was fouled by Uruguayan midfielder Nicolás de la Cruz in stoppage time. Medical checks confirmed the new injury, leaving Williams facing a recovery race with only three weeks of the tournament remaining.
Today is one of the worst days of my life. I get injured again after a very complicated year.
Williams’s statement
The Athletic Club forward published a lengthy message on Instagram, sharing the physical and emotional toll of a season-and-a-half battle with pubalgia that forced him to miss up to 20 matches. He described living with pain during simple daily tasks and said his overriding priority was to be happy playing football again. A later ischium injury, suffered in late May, nearly ruled him out of the World Cup entirely.
Returning to being happy playing football was my biggest priority, together with getting my smile back. Because without a smile, without enjoying and being happy, I can't perform at the highest level.
De la Cruz tackle and frustration
Williams directly pointed to De la Cruz’s challenge as the cause of his new injury, calling it a product of Uruguay’s elimination frustration. The tackle came in added time during a match in which the Uruguayan side showed aggression on the edge of the rules. Williams believes the incident could have been avoided entirely.
Yesterday a new injury was caused to me after an action in which a fellow professional acted out of frustration, discontent and sadness at the situation he was going through. It was a move that, in my opinion, could have been avoided because it was completely unnecessary.
Recovery timeline and World Cup doubt
Williams has appeared three times for Spain in the tournament, always from the bench, accumulating 46 minutes. The short timeframe for a muscle recovery makes his availability for the knockout rounds uncertain, though the player himself refuses to rule out a return. He closed his message with a promise to fight until the last moment to play again in this World Cup.
