Spain finished as Group H leaders in the final standings after their victory over Uruguay. However, it was not all celebration after news broke of Nico Williams’ injury, as he issued a strong criticism of Nicolas De La Cruz following their heavy clash in the second half.
“Today is one of the worst days of my life. I get injured again after a very difficult year, in which pubalgia won many battles, but not the war,” the player began his statement on his official Instagram account.
The main target of his comments was De La Cruz: “Yesterday I suffered a new injury after a play in which a fellow professional acted out of frustration, dissatisfaction, and sadness due to the situation he was going through. It was a challenge that, in my opinion, could have been avoided because it was completely unnecessary.”
Despite his disappointment, Williams thanked everyone for their support and stated that he will return sooner rather than later. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your messages of support. The story is not over—we’ll see each other as soon as possible at this World Cup.”
Nico Williams #17 of Spain is fouled by Nicolas de la Cruz #7 of Uruguay.
What injury did Nico Williams suffer?
Nico Williams came on in the second half of the match, in which his team defeated Uruguay and eliminated the South American side, and finished the game injured after a hard tackle by Nicolas De La Cruz.
According to an announcement by Fabrizio Romano on his X account, Williams suffered a muscle injury to his right adductor after a heavy knock. In addition, Yeremy Pino sustained an acromioclavicular sprain in his left shoulder and will also be unavailable for the upcoming matches.
Yeremy Pino #11 of Spain lies on the pitch during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group H match.
What’s next for Spain?
After clinching top spot in Group H with a 1–0 victory over Uruguay, Spain have advanced to the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. La Roja will face the runner-up from Group J—which will be either Austria or Algeria—on Thursday, July 2, 2026. The knockout matchup is scheduled to take place at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles (Inglewood), California.
