Nico Williams — Spain World Cup 2026 Squad

Nico Williams gives Spain the part of the attack that cannot be coached into existence: raw pace and a willingness to attack defenders before the move is fully set. He is 22, he plays for Athletic Bilbao, and he has 24 caps and 6 goals for Spain. That matters because Spain almost always have enough control in midfield. The real question is whether they can keep stretching teams until the block finally breaks. Nico helps do that. He holds the width, runs hard at the full-back, and forces covering defenders to move earlier than they want. If Spain are going to avoid another tournament spent admiring their own possession, players like Nico have to keep making the game bigger and less comfortable for the opposition.