Nico Williams, Lamine Yamal and the faction of friends at Barcelona

New York Times

3 days ago

It was one of the defining images of Spain's victorious European Championship campaign last summer — and it looks set to be repeated for Barcelona.
Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal's dancing goal celebration during the round of 16 win against Georgia seemed to present a powerful image of Spanish diversity. But it also summed up a friendship between two youngsters enjoying themselves on the world stage.
Advertisement
Both wingers played a key role in terrorising opposition defences as Spain went on to lift the trophy in Germany. Williams scored twice — including the opener in the final against England — and provided an assist over the course of the tournament. Yamal, meanwhile, contributed a goal and four assists, only turning 17 the day before that final.
The 22-year-old Williams has now agreed terms on a potential €60million (£50m, $62m) move to join his great friend Yamal at Barcelona. On Tuesday, The Athletic reported that he had informed Athletic Club he intends to leave for Barca this summer.
Leaving Athletic, his boyhood club in Bilbao where his elder brother Inaki also plays, is not a decision he will take lightly. But it helps to know he already has a number of dressing-room allies at the Catalan club, not least Yamal.
During the Euros, the Spanish national team released a video interview with Williams and Yamal in which they spoke about playing rock, paper, scissors to decide who got to drink first from a water bottle, argued over who was the other's 'son' and discussed taking inspiration from TikTok for their dances — although Williams added: 'We talked about it in the bus on the way to the (Georgia) game and it came out naturally.'
¿🪨📰✂️? ¡¡Estos dos '𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘀' se juegan hasta el sitio donde sentarse!!@willliamsssnico y Lamine Yamal nos cuentan quién es 'padre' de quién, sus juegos, bailes…
🤪 ¡¡Vaya dos cracks se han ido a juntar en la @SEFutbol!!https://t.co/07axI2Bsyf#VamosEspaña | #EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/FmFlZTfbWL
— Selección Española Masculina de Fútbol (@SEFutbol) July 2, 2024
The same can be said for their friendship.
Williams and Yamal met at the latter's first camp with Spain's senior squad in September 2023, during which he became the national team's youngest player and goalscorer at 16 years and 57 days old in a Euros qualifier against Georgia. Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde introduced the pair as he thought they would get on.
Advertisement
'I remember the first day I met him. He was more timid than now,' Williams said in an interview with the former Argentina and Real Madrid forward-turned pundit Jorge Valdano for Spanish broadcaster Movistar Plus in January. 'The first time I trained with him, I said 'hostia' (bloody hell).
'What I tell him is you're pretty humble, you're pretty normal, considering everything that's happening to you. When you're that age, you can lose your head. And he continues to be the same person that has taken him to where he is. I always support him — and I'm always going to be there to give him a slap on the back of the neck if he goes too far.'
When Yamal appeared on late-night TV show El Hormiguero in September and was asked why he and Williams were friends, he appeared nonplussed. He explained that they share the same interests, enjoy watching TikTok videos and like the same music, including reggaeton, along with French and Brazilian songs.
But it is not just Yamal — Williams has plenty of friends at Barcelona.
One moment from the last game of the 2024-25 La Liga season was significant. Barca had just beaten Athletic 3-0 at their San Mames stadium when a host of their players swamped Williams. Raphinha and Balde both covered their mouths to speak to the winger, while Fermin Lopez ran to give him a playful slap on the head. Williams ended up swapping shirts with Ansu Fati and gave the Barca forward a hug.
Last summer, Williams spent most of his days at Spain's sleepy Euros base in the Black Forest, in south-western Germany, with his soon-to-be Barca team-mates. He is very close to Fermin, with the attacking midfielder having referred to Williams as his best friend outside of Barcelona colleagues within the camp.
He is close to Pedri and Dani Olmo and also gets on with Gavi, Pau Cubarsi and Eric Garcia, who he played with at under-21 level for Spain. When the tournament was over, Yamal met Williams and other international team-mates for their holidays in Marbella, on Spain's southern Costa del Sol.
Advertisement
Many of those players believed Williams would join Barcelona that summer. But when he returned to Bilbao and realised Barca would not be able to guarantee him automatic registration given their issues with La Liga's salary cap, he had second thoughts. His family preferred him to stay at Athletic, who were aiming to lift the Europa League, with the final being played at San Mames last season (they came close, but were knocked out by Manchester United in the semi-finals).
Even so, the links with Barca never really went away. When reports emerged about them reigniting their interest in mid-June, Yamal posted a picture on Instagram of the pair celebrating together for Spain.
It was reminiscent of the saga over former Arsenal and Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas' future before he re-joined Barcelona from the north London side in 2011. During international camps, Fabregas spent his days with Barca players Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol, while he was also close to Andres Iniesta and Xavi. Pique and Puyol regularly posted on social media joking about his return to Camp Nou and the pair even pulled a Barcelona shirt onto Fabregas as Spain celebrated their 2010 World Cup win.
The prospect of Williams and Yamal combining for Barca in the same way they have done at international level is a thrilling one for the club's fans. When Yamal was asked on El Hormiguero whether he thought he and Williams would be club team-mates this year, he initially shrugged his shoulders and said, 'I don't know' with a laugh. Then he was asked whether he would like that to happen.
'Yes, hopefully yes,' he said. 'His decision is to be at Athletic now but hopefully I'll be able to play every week with him.'
Now he is close to getting his wish.