Inaki Williams Makes History as Athletic Bilbao’s First Non-Spanish Champions League Player
· YEN.com.gh News · Join- Iñaki Williams finally makes his Champions League debut, marking a historic moment in his long career with Athletic Bilbao
- Athletic Bilbao face Arsenal at San Mamés in their return to the Champions League, setting the stage for an electric opener
- Nico Williams remains sidelined with a groin injury, leaving Ernesto Valverde without one of his most dangerous attackers during this crucial run of fixtures
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Inaki Williams has etched his name into Athletic Club history with a long-awaited Champions League debut on the horizon.
The 31-year-old forward has been included in Athletic Bilbao’s squad for the 2025/26 campaign, marking his first-ever appearance in Europe’s premier competition.
Source: Getty Images
A one-club man and cult figure at San Mamés, Williams has already racked up more than 475 appearances for the Basque giants across all competitions, per Transfermarkt.
His loyalty and consistency were underlined when he helped Athletic Club end an 80-year trophy drought by lifting the Copa del Rey two seasons ago.
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Now, the Spanish-born Ghanaian is set to spearhead the Basque side on the grandest stage of European football.
According to 3Sports, Williams has become one of the first non-Spanish players to represent Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League, a milestone he shares with Moroccan forward Marouan Sannadi.
Inaki Williams etched his name into Athletic Bilbao’s history books this season by becoming the club’s first-ever black captain. He inherited the armband after long-serving skipper Oscar de Marcos retired.
The milestone is especially symbolic at a club famed for its Basque-only player policy, and Inaki now aims to add more historic moments in the Champions League.
Athletic Bilbao have been handed a tough but thrilling Champions League group, featuring European giants Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, and Atalanta.
They will also battle Newcastle United, Slavia Praha, Qarabağ, and Sporting CP in what promises to be a demanding campaign.
Inaki makes Champions League debut against Arsenal
Williams was named in the starting lineup to face Arsenal at San Mamés, leading the attack alongside Álex Berenguer and Robert Navarro.
His younger brother, Nico Williams, was sidelined with a groin injury picked up during Spain’s clash with Turkey, where he was forced off after 43 minutes.
The winger, who was chased by Barcelona throughout the summer, is expected to be out for around three weeks, leaving coach Ernesto Valverde without one of his most explosive talents during a vital stretch of games.
Source: Getty Images
Athletic Bilbao fell to a 2-0 defeat against Arsenal, with Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard providing the goals.
Mikel Arteta’s substitutions proved decisive, as Trossard and Martinelli linked up brilliantly before the Brazilian broke the deadlock in the closing stages.
Just three minutes from time, the substitutes combined once more, with Martinelli setting up Trossard to seal the win via a deflected strike.
Arsenal then held firm through six minutes of stoppage time to carve out a piece of Champions League history, becoming the first team to defeat Spanish opposition in six consecutive European Cup matches.
Williams among four Ghanaians who captained clubs in Europe
Earlier, YEN.com.gh spotlighted four Ghanaian footballers who proudly led their European clubs as captains long before Inaki Williams earned the armband at Athletic Club.
The 31-year-old forward reached this major career milestone at the tail end of the 2025/26 season.
Source: YEN.com.gh