Nico Williams hits out at Uruguay over World Cup injury

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Spain’s forward #17 Nico Williams and Uruguay’s defender #13 Guillermo Varela fight for the ball during the 2026 World Cup Group H football match between Uruguay and Spain at the Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan on June 26, 2026. (Photo by Alfredo ESTRELLA / AFP)

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Spain winger Nico Williams said suffering a latest injury setback was “one of the worst days of his life” as he criticised Uruguay for lashing out in a 1-0 defeat that ended their World Cup.

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Williams could miss the rest of the tournament if Spain do not go far after picking up a muscle injury that was provoked by a lunge from Nicolas de la Cruz.

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Moments later, Agustin Canobbio was shown a straight red card for diving in on Pau Cubarsi as the two-time World Cup winners bowed out in disgrace.

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Williams has had an injury-disrupted season at Athletic Bilbao and only made brief appearances as a substitute in Spain’s three group games.

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“Today is one of the worst days of my life. I am injured again after a very difficult year,” the 23-year-old posted on social media.

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“Yesterday, I suffered a new injury following an incident where a fellow professional acted out of frustration, unhappiness, and sadness over the situation he was going through.

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“In my opinion, it was a play that could have been avoided, as it was completely unnecessary. But this won’t stop me.”

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The Spanish Football Federation said Williams had suffered a “moderate” injury and still had a chance to return later in the tournament.

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There was better news for the European champions as a scan on Yeremy Pino ruled out a fractured collarbone.

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The Crystal Palace midfielder also now has a chance of returning before the end of the World Cup.

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The loss of both players would have been a major blow to Spain’s chances of winning the tournament with Luis de la Fuente’s options in wide areas already limited.

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Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal has not played a full 90 minutes in over two months as he is nursed back to fitness after a hamstring injury, while new Liverpool signing Victor Munoz is yet to feature at the World Cup due to fitness problems.

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After topping Group H, Spain will face either Austria or Algeria in the last 32 in Los Angeles on Thursday.

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AFP

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