Uruguay out, but left its mark on Spain – Williams and Pino doubtful for the rest of the tournament

The Spaniards won the match but lost two players. Why? Because the Uruguayans beat them up. Referee Ismail Elfath allowed such rough play in Guadalajara that the South Americans took the kicking too far, literally turning the final round match of Group H into a combat sport.

The consequences of the harsh tackles, which often went unpunished, are two heavy blows for the reigning European champions, as Nico Williams and Yeremy Pino have been sidelined. The Athletic Bilbao winger fared slightly better, but it was clear in the stadium corridors after the match that he was walking with difficulty and struggling to put weight on his left leg.

The situation regarding the Crystal Palace member is far worse, as he suffered a fractured collarbone during the night between Friday and Saturday. As things stand, this could mean the end of the tournament for Pino, as a return by the final—where the Furia Roja plans to be—is almost impossible.

Meanwhile, Nico will definitely miss the round of 16 match, after which his condition, which is by no means minor, will be monitored. However, there is fear on the Iberian Peninsula because they know he was frequently sidelined for several weeks during the season, and it is a question of when they will be able to count on him again. The gravity of the situation is also confirmed by the words of Luis de la Fuente.

"Yeremy Pino is in excruciating pain. Despite that, he made a tremendous effort to finish the match, and I am very grateful to him, as well as to the whole team. I think he suffered a collarbone fracture, which would prevent him from playing for the rest of the World Cup. We will wait for the examination and the doctors' final assessment. As for Nico Williams, we need to wait for the test results. He feels discomfort; it could be due to overload."

The problem for Spain is that the head coach does not have the right to call up a replacement. FIFA regulations clearly state that a player from the provisional list can only join the squad up to 24 hours before the tournament's opening match.

This means Spain could lose one, and perhaps even two, crucial footballers—especially as the tournament is just heating up, and their game relies heavily on the impact of their wingers. After all, let's not forget that Lamine Yamal did not arrive in North America fully fit, and Victor Munoz also had issues on the eve of the competition.