Marca reports that Athletic Bilbao star Nico Williams is likely to miss the 2026 World Cup with Spain due to injury.
The left winger has been suffering from a groin injury since the start of the season, and despite periods of absence to recover, his pain has never subsided, forcing him to miss the last two weeks of action again.
Athletic Bilbao coach Ernesto Valverde announced that Williams would miss Wednesday’s Champions League match against Sporting Lisbon due to a lack of match fitness.
There is growing concern among Bilbao officials after all previous treatments failed to alleviate Williams’ pain, making surgery a possible option.
The groin injury remains the biggest threat to Williams’ World Cup dreams – whether he undergoes surgery or not – forcing Athletic Bilbao to implement another conservative treatment program in the hope of a full recovery and a return to form for the Basque player.
Overall, Williams has only played 20 matches this season across all competitions, 3 in the Champions League and 17 in La Liga, managing to score just 4 goals, reflecting a significant decline in his performance.
