Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal and smiling, and in doing so, making the whole country do so too. The fans are thrilled with the daring and courageousness of their two wingers' wide play. They are, given the results, two of the standout performers at this European Championships which has the national team through to the quarter-finals. Spain are infected by the youthful energy of these boys who never stop enjoying themselves, whether on the pitch or off it. And therein lies the secret.
Nico and Lamine have a great relationship, while in Germany building on by the friendship that was born in September 2023 and the Barcelona player’s first call-up to the national team. Since then, a trust has grown that benefits the whole team but starts with the two fleet-footed wing forwards.
They ouse youth, speak the language of the next generation, with Nico 21-years-old and Lamine turning 17 in the coming month. Moreover, to resolve almost anything, they resort to "stone, paper, scissors", the image that went viral on the pitch in Cologne in which they played to see who would get to drink from the water bottle. Even to see where each one sits in this interview they play it, it's as if it is in their genes.
Like with their smiles, when they dance, Spain dances with them. Equally iconic was that image of the two wingers dancing after Nico Williams' goal against Georgia in the quarter-finals. "It came naturally to us. We talked about it on the bus, we did a dance that I hope people liked," says Williams, and Lamine intervenes to reveal that they send each other a lot of things they see on social media, that's what the new generations are like.
They have a healthy rivalry about everything, even about who dances better or who is the father of whom. But, between jokes and banter, there is also time for seriousness. "He's a very good boy," says Lamine without hesitation. And Nico reciprocates, revealing that it was Balde who introduced them. "He told me that there was a kid who had come through the youth ranks who was very good. I didn't know him personally. After that day, we hit it off and we haven’t looked back since that first meeting.
They know they are being hyped up but they keep their feet on the ground and don't lose sight of what really matters. "We know that our strength is the team. Not just the individual," says Williams. "The good thing about the European Championships is that you finish a game and four days later you have another game, you just think about football. And, at the end of the day, we have captains in the squad who don’t let things go to our heads because they keep us on the straight and narrow," says Lamine, who returns the compliments to his friend. "He's a welcoming, humble and affectionate lad. He's a good guy.