'A story of human trafficking, hope and love'

"Dos Ferraris contra Italia" - "Two Ferraris against Italy"

That was Marca's - Spain's biggest sports paper - header supra a representation of the precocious talents that are Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal earlier the country's Group B triumph against the existent European champions.

With a combined property of 37 - Williams turns 22 connected 12 July this year, Yamal volition beryllium 17 a time later, the time earlier the Euro last - the 2 wingers correspond the brightest of futures to Spain's footballing fortunes.

The duo again impressed arsenic Spain acceptable up a quarter-final against Germany with a 4-1 triumph against Georgia and are seen arsenic cardinal successful taking their state to a imaginable greatness not seen since they won the Euros successful 2008 and 2012 respectively.

Williams scored his archetypal extremity of the tourney arsenic Spain came from down to bushed Georgia, a stunning individiual effort, portion Yamal again shone connected the other flank.

They person go large friends, with Williams looking aft the teen - inspired by however his older member Inaki looked aft him successful their younger days.

The Williams brothers, present team-mates astatine Athletic Club, person since go leaders successful the combat against favoritism successful Spain - wherever an undercurrent of racism inactive perpetually bubbles insidiously beneath the aboveground of definite sections of Spanish society.

Just past week, Nico spoke retired against a racist societal media absorption to Marca's headline, portion the Spanish Federation besides offered instant condemnation successful support.

The Williams are alert much than astir of the immense level shot offers. They are determined to condemn racism astatine each accidental and are precise alert the work their words carry.

Just however Nico and Inaki came to beryllium calved and raised successful Spain merits re-telling, arsenic it is simply a communicative of quality trafficking, hope, emigration and emotion of strangers.

As a child, Inaki Williams could ne'er recognize wherefore Felix, his father, had problems with his feet.

Only erstwhile helium was 18 and already playing for Athletic Club's archetypal squad did his parent Maria archer him however they had been damaged by the burning sands of the Sahara godforsaken arsenic the large Maria and her hubby near Ghana successful hunt of a amended life.

They ended up walking astir of the travel that primitively was taking them to the United Kingdom, arsenic they were stranded halfway by the pack that had taken their savings.

They were arrested successful the Spanish enclave of Melilla, successful the northbound of Africa, and to assistance summation governmental asylum they were advised by a lawyer to accidental they were from war-torn Liberia alternatively than Ghana.

He enactment them successful interaction with Catholic clergyman Inaki Mardones. He recovered them authorities lodging successful Bilbao and took them to infirmary wherever Inaki was calved and named aft the young priest, who besides agreed to beryllium Inaki's godfather.

The archetypal acquisition helium gave his godson? His archetypal reddish and achromatic striped Athletic jersey.

Nico would accidental later: "Thanks to God we are each present unneurotic now, surviving a truly bully life. My parents are getting to ticker their sons prosper, which is wherefore they came here. Everything we bash is for our parents.

"They risked their lives truthful that we, my member and I, person a amended future. And they achieved that. I volition everlastingly admit what my begetter and my parent did for america - they are fighters, they instilled successful america respect, hard work, each day, that cipher gifts you anything.

"The information is I americium truthful arrogant to beryllium capable to person them arsenic parents, and I effort to bash everything imaginable truthful that they consciousness arrogant to person maine arsenic a son."

Despite their caller recovered security, beingness was acold from casual for the Williams family. They moved 150 kilometres southbound eastbound to Pamplona.

Nicholas Williams Arthuer was calved determination connected July 12, 2002, but incapable to find capable enactment to support his family, Felix moved to London doing immoderate helium could to nonstop wealth home.

He cleared tables successful a nutrient hallway successful a Chelsea buying centre and worked arsenic a information guard, adjacent connected the turnstiles astatine Chelsea FC.

He was distant for 10 years - helium is backmost successful Bilbao present - during which clip Inaki became similar a begetter to Nico, portion their parent worked up to 3 jobs astatine a clip successful her efforts to supply for her family.

When they spell for luncheon astatine their mum’s, she reminds them to wide the table, lavation the dishes, and tells them disconnected if they measurement retired of line. The acquisition from their parents is constant.

Inaki, who decided to play for Ghana arsenic a homage to them, would ticker implicit Nico each the way.

From picking him up from schoolhouse and giving him a 'bocadillo' (sandwich) erstwhile they travel retired of class, to aboriginal instructing him successful the behaviour that helium needed to travel if helium wanted to marque it arsenic an elite athlete.

"For maine helium is simply a reference, helium is everything for me," said Nico. "He has helped my parents and maine truthful that we tin eat, truthful that I could spell to class, truthful that I could get dressed.

"He corrects me, helium advises me, helium has ever done it actually, but we get on precise well. He is my brother, but helium besides acts arsenic a begetter a little."

On 28 April 2021, the brothers were brought connected arsenic second-half substitutes successful Athletic's 2-2 gully astatine location against Real Valladolid to go the archetypal siblings to play for the nine unneurotic since 1986.

After the final, they instantly went to sojourn their mum, who was incapable to ticker the lucifer arsenic fans were banned from the stadium due to the fact that of the Covid pandemic.

Nico has recovered a caller soulmate successful the nationalist side, helium has a choky enslaved with the 16-year-old improvement Lamine Yamal.

Online images of the 2 teenagers dancing around, presumably by mode of preparing a extremity celebration, person gone viral.

There are surely elements of however Nico utilized to interact with his older brother.

Following Spain's triumph against Italy, Nico joked: "I've already told him [Yamal] that helium has to larn from 'his father', me!"

Nico besides added that helium had spoken to him and emphasised the value of enjoying these bonzer and upbeat times.

Their relationship goes backmost to erstwhile they met astatine the Spanish Federation successful Las Rozas successful Madrid successful March, earlier Spain's affable games against Colombia and Brazil erstwhile Nico was asked to support a watchful oculus implicit the young Yamal.

Although readying a time retired successful the superior connected his time off, helium was asked alternatively to spell retired with the youngster, who was kicking his heels wondering what to bash with his spare time.

Nico accepted. It was a shrewd determination from the federation who afloat understood that determination could beryllium nary amended mentor for Yamal than Nico.

"He's a bully illustration to him," says a spokesperson for the federation. "Lamine copies everything Nico does.

"Nico gets up, gets acceptable and goes successful hunt of Lamine. He knocks connected the doorway of the Barca player's country and insists: 'Come on, we don't person to beryllium late'."

In a European Championship qualifier against Georgia past September, Nico and Yamal were brought on. Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has ne'er looked back.

Fast, explosive, seemingly inexhaustible, Nico is simply a right-footed winger who tin play connected some wings oregon adjacent commencement from a much cardinal position.

"It was unthinkable watching him play," says erstwhile Athletic caput manager Gaizka Garitano. "He was precise fast, unthinkable speed. Even much skilful than his older brother."

A disappointing show successful Spain's Euro 2024 opener against Croatia made him fearfulness helium would beryllium dropped. It besides made him doubly determined to amusement what helium could bash against Italy.

"I didn't play with joy," helium told the coaching staff. "I'm going to springiness it my each successful the adjacent game.” The De la Fuente unit took enactment of his hunger.

If Yamal stood retired against Croatia, against Italy Nico took command. He has had six palmy dribbles successful the Euros truthful far, lone Yamal surpasses him, with seven.

He has already made 16 appearances for Spain and seems similar a substance of clip earlier the biggest clubs successful the satellite beckon.

In December, Nico signed a declaration hold astatine Athletic Club that could support him determination until 30 June 2027.

It comes with a merchandise clause of astir £49m which was capable to deter Chelsea, who person followed him for astir for immoderate time, portion Barcelona person besides had a bid rejected.

The subordinate himself has precocious insisted helium is "happy astatine Athletic", portion nine president Jon Uriarte insisted "we are not worried" contempt speculation astir his aboriginal growing.

For the clip being though helium inactive has unfinished concern with Spain, the state whose garment helium wears with favoritism and pride.