Nico Williams reveals surprise about Spain's winning goal in the 2026 World Cup

Nico Williams, the Spanish winger from Athletic Bilbao, has revealed unexpected details behind the assist he provided for Spain's winning goal against Argentina in the 2026 World Cup final, confirming that defender Nahuel Molina's intervention helped him reach the ball and pass it to Ferran Torres, who scored the winning goal during extra time.

Williams explained in an interview with the 'Football Emotion' program that the incident did not go as many might imagine, pointing out that a push from Molina while the ball was falling gave him an unexpected opportunity to reach it.

The Spanish national team's winger said: "I think people didn't realize what happened. If Molina hadn't pushed me, I would never have reached the ball. The ball was dropping, and he collided with me and pushed me with both hands. When I saw the ball coming, I thought I wouldn't be able to reach it, but after he pushed me, I told myself that I would get to it."

He added that he did not have enough time to shoot the ball towards the goal, so he decided to pass it to his teammate, explaining: "I didn't have enough time to shoot the ball towards the goal, so I thought about passing it to a teammate. I left it there, and Ferran arrived and scored the goal."

A groin injury has hampered Williams' preparations for the World Cup.

Williams' comments were not limited to the details of his decisive goal; he also spoke about the suffering he endured before the tournament, having faced a difficult period due to a groin injury, alongside a muscular issue in the back of his thigh, which affected his physical readiness and prevented him from starting any match during the World Cup.

Athletic Bilbao's winger has had to start all tournament matches from the bench, while Alex Baena has taken his place in the starting lineup.

Williams described his struggle with a groin injury as mentally exhausting, explaining that his condition was unstable. He sometimes felt capable of regaining his usual level, only for the pain to return the following day.

He pointed out that the injury clearly affected his speed and ability to sprint, noting that during that period he was unable to exceed a speed of 29 kilometers per hour, despite his usual speed ranging between 34 and 35 kilometers per hour.

The player revealed that his stoppage from playing last March marked the beginning of his treatment journey, after undergoing a conservative treatment program in Pamplona and England, before being contacted by Spain national team coach Luis de la Fuente to check on the developments of his condition.

Williams confirmed that the coach has given him confidence and informed him that his chance to join the national team remains if he responds to treatment and regains his fitness, noting that he has started to feel gradual improvement as the date for announcing the final squad approaches.

He added that De la Fuente continued to monitor his level after returning to the pitch, and he would communicate with him after matches to encourage him and assure him that he was regaining his previous form.

The coach spoke to him before the Valencia match, highlighting his two goals in the previous game against Alavés. He assured him that he is starting to regain his usual form and that continuing to deliver the same performance will enhance his chances of participating in the World Cup.

A new muscle injury nearly ended World Cup dreams.

After beginning to regain his fitness, Williams has suffered a setback due to a hamstring injury, leading to fears that his World Cup dream may be over before it even starts.

The player said: "I thought it was over. When you suffer a hamstring tear, you usually need four weeks to recover. I got injured after playing at a quarter past four in the afternoon, and I couldn't believe what happened."

The player has communicated with the doctor overseeing his treatment for a groin injury, who reassured him that the injury may not be serious. He will undergo medical examinations on Monday, and it has been determined that his expected absence will range from one and a half weeks to two weeks.

Williams expressed that knowing the expected recovery time gave him a great sense of relief, allowing him to continue working on regaining his fitness and joining the Spanish national team camp.

During the camp, he trained alongside Lamine Yamal and Víctor Muñoz, after Yamal also suffered an injury to the lower part of his hamstring.

Williams has described winning the World Cup as an exceptional achievement.

In closing his remarks, Williams expressed his immense happiness at winning the World Cup, considering that reaching the pinnacle of world football is an extraordinary achievement that does not happen frequently. He also showed his excitement about participating in the next edition, which will be hosted by Spain.

He said: "Becoming a world champion is not something that happens every day. We will see what happens in the next tournament in Spain. We have a wonderful group, and the players are very close to each other."

Athletic Bilbao winger emphasized that the strength of the Spanish national team is not limited to the technical abilities of its players, but extends to the relationships that bind the members of the group, asserting that the strong bonds among them contradict the stereotype that describes football players as selfish and preoccupied with individual interests.

Williams believes that this cohesion is one of the key strengths of the Spanish national team, which succeeded in winning the world title, with ambitions to continue their success in upcoming competitions.