For many reasons, a majority of them valid, Lamine Yamal seemed to become the face of this Spain side heading into Euro 2024. For one it’s his youth, of course - a star at just 16. There’s also the potential for so many storylines, with his birthday the day before the final itself.
Then there’s the fact he plays for Barcelona - all this before we even approach the subject of his quality, which is clearly off the charts.
But while he gives Spain traits they’ve been desperate for over the last few years and tournaments - guile around the box, balance in the forward line and, above all else, speed - he isn’t the only player to do so. He isn’t even the only starting forward who offers much of the same traits, if in mirror image.
And while Lamal has the headlines and the highlights, it’s his teammate on the opposite flank, Nico Williams, who has been growing into the tournament in seriously impressive fashion, enough so that he now looks perhaps the most important key to them getting past tough upcoming opponents, in pursuit of a third European Championship success in the space of just 16 years.
If off-pitch proof is needed of his importance then it came in the post-match words from both head coach Luis de la Fuente and Uefa’s player of the game choice in Rodri. But if the on-pitch work is most important, Williams’ performance in the 4-1 win over Georgia speaks for itself: an assist for the equaliser, the third goal to make sure of the victory and - quite incredibly for a forward against such an aggressive and front-footed defence - not a single misplaced pass. Oh, and his birthday is one day before Yamal’s, too.
This all comes after an admittedly slow-burning opener in the group stage.
Against Croatia, he was not at his best level, if not an underperformer then certainly one on the fringes of the game as the midfield shone and Yamal made everyone sit up and take notice. It was a display of facilitation for others more than starring himself, keeping play stretched and helping create gaps, but it didn’t really show his worth.
But since then, he’s made sure to do exactly that.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo may still be trying to untwist his feet after the tormenting he received from Williams as Spain edged Italy, and on Sunday night in Cologne, Otar Kakabadze simply had no way to stop him.
The Athletic Club winger drifted infield and sprinted on the outside. He played the simple pass quickly and drew defenders onto him, waiting for the moment to turn on his acceleration and beat them with pace or skill.
Williams’ goal was of course partly due to his side being ahead and Georgia committing more players forward, but the fact he was able to turn a counter-attack into a devastating finish was all about his attributes in full effect.
This was his third international goal but, by a quirk of the game, his second against Georgia - Spain beat them much more comprehensively in qualifying for the Euros too, while his first strike came in a friendly against Jordan. Cologne, then, was the setting for not just his most important, but the first of real relevance, the first in an environment worthy of the talent he is showcasing on a consistent basis.
And perhaps that, above all, is what Spain have needed from the 21-year-old the most.
His quality, of course, but before that, the ability to do it on a regular basis.
Since the peak era of Iniesta, Villa, Pedro or Silva in the channels, that has been a relative weakness of Spain’s. Nolito, Lucas Vazquez, Pablo Sarabia, Marco Asensio, even the still-involved Ferran Torres: all these have had their moments, their matches. None have had staying power to remain key starters at the most elite level, and be successful doing so.
It’s too early to put Williams or Lamal in the same bracket as the aforementioned multiple title-winning legends, and maybe only one or neither of them get there, but the point is Spain don’t necessarily need them both to be.
What they need is consistency. What they need is a finishing touch or a perfect final pass on a regular basis, and the capacity to constantly test every kind of defence.
Williams has shown multiple times now in Germany that he’s the man capable of exactly that; now he must prove he’s precisely who Spain can rely on to produce once more against Germany.
