For Nico Williams, Euro 2024 was the tournament where he announced himself on the world stage.
The Athletic Bilbao winger had been talked up as one of Spain’s best young talents, but this was the summer in which he proved he belonged at the top table as he helped propel Luis de la Fuente’s side to the European crown.
His summer was capped by his man-of-the-match performance in the final against England, in which he scored the opening goal.
Nico Williams on the Euro 2024 final
Williams earned his place in the Spain squad following a 2023/24 campaign which saw him net eight goals and lay on 18 assists for Athletic, and after a slow start, turned in an excellent performance in Spain’s 1-0 group stage win over Italy.
“I remember the first game against Croatia – I didn’t play very well,” he tells FourFourTwo. “The game was a bit bad for me, but the team managed to win.
“But for me, I have that European Championship in my heart. It filled me with courage. Playing with team-mates like the ones I have in the national team and sharing the story with them is incredible.
“I’ve been able to learn a lot from players like Alvaro Morata and Dani Carvajal, who are legends of the national team.”
He scored and assisted goals in the 4-1 win over Georgia in the last 16, with the Spain set-up allowing him to shine on a continental stage. “When I play in the national team, I have a lot of space,” he explains.
“You can’t cover just one player – there are a lot of players that you have to cover. I get along well with a lot of the players in the national team as well. Playing alongside Pedri, who’s a magician and who puts the ball at your feet, is a privilege.”
Then came the final against England at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, in which Williams broke the deadlock shortly after half-time.
“That goal against England was incredible,” he recalls. “It was a very quick play – I know Lamine, and he knew perfectly well he was going to put the ball there for me. To score a goal in a Euros final was unbelievable.”
“It was one of the most important moments of my career so far,” he admits. “When you go to play with the national team and win a title as important as the European Championship, you get goosebumps. We were very happy. That whole period made me more confident in myself.”
