Why isn’t Nico Williams starting for Spain against Portugal at the 2026 World Cup?
Nico Williams turned into one of Spain's main absences in the starting lineup to face Portugal in the 2026 World Cup Round of 16. Spain faces Portugal on Monday, July 7th, in the 2026 World Cup Round of 16 at Dallas Stadium with a quarterfinal spot on the line. Despite expectations that Luis de la Fuente would field his strongest side, Nico Williams is notably absent from the starting lineup. Williams has been left out of the starting XI as a precautionary measure. The Athletic Club winger recently returned from a muscle injury sustained during the group stage against Uruguay, and De la Fuente is unwilling to rush him back into the thick of things against such a demanding opponent. Instead, Spain will line up the same way they did against Austria, the match in which Williams did not feature at all. Alex Baena gets the nod on the left flank, with Lamine Yamal on the right, Dani Olmo operating as the attacking midfielder, and Mikel Oyarzabal leading the line up front. Nico Williams and another setback during the World Cup Williams was one of three Spain players who arrived at the World Cup managing a pre-existing injury, alongside Lamine Yamal and Yeremy Pino, limiting his involvement in the group stage from the outset. He played just three minutes against Cape Verde and 29 against Saudi Arabia before entering the match against Uruguay, where a heavy challenge from Nicolas De La Cruz left him with a fresh setback. Nico Williams #17 of Spain is fouled by Nicolas de la Cruz #7 of Uruguay. Following that final group game, the RFEF confirmed that Williams had suffered a muscle injury to his right adductor as a result of the impact. While he was not ruled out of the tournament entirely, the injury required a targeted recovery program that kept him sidelined. Williams sat out the Austria match entirely, only rejoining his teammates in training at Cotton Bowl Stadium on Sunday. Should Spain advance to the quarterfinals, he is expected to return to the starting lineup, but against Portugal he is available only as a last resort, with his long-term fitness remaining the priority.
