Spain Dealt Major Blow After Advancing to Round of 32 at World Cup

Spain locked up the top spot in Group H and secured a berth into the Round of 32 with a 1-0 win over Uruguay, but that win came at a cost, head coach Luis de la Fuente later revealed.

Nico Williams and Yéremy Pino were both introduced as second-half substitutes in the match in Guadalajara, Mexico, after Álex Baena had put Spain ahead before the interval, but the pair’s status for the rest of the tournament is now in doubt after Pino sustained a collar-bone injury in a fall and Williams suffered a muscular problem.

“[Williams] felt discomfort,” De la Fuente said, speaking after the game. “It could be a strain, or it might be fatigue. But the worst thing is the huge pain we feel with Yéremy, who could miss the rest of the World Cup.”

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The latter left the stadium in a sling.

“[Pino’s] could be a collar bone injury,” he added. “We’ll see, he’ll undergo tests tomorrow. He’s suffering a lot. He made a huge effort to hold on until the end of the game. It was heroic.”

Spain will learn its opponent in the Round of 32 later tonight when Algeria and Austria face off. Both sit tied in the group with three points, but Austria currently owns the goal differential tiebreak and would earn a berth into the Round of 32 against Spain with a win or draw.

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This story was originally published June 27, 2026 at 12:18 PM.