Madrid, September 11 (Daily Kiran) : In Madrid, forward Inaki Williams has announced his retirement from the Ghana national football team. The Athletic Bilbao player made the announcement on social media on September 11, 2026, after representing Ghana in 28 matches and scoring two goals.
The 32-year-old expressed his emotions in a heartfelt message on the platform X, stating, “I feel it is time to end my journey with the Ghana national team. I leave with happiness, pride, and peace of mind, knowing that I gave my all every time I wore this jersey.”
Williams, the elder of the Williams brothers, played one match for Spain in 2016. However, after visiting his mother’s homeland alongside his younger brother Nico, who plays for Spain, he decided to represent Ghana. He participated in the 2022 and 2026 World Cups, as well as the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
In his farewell message, Williams shared, “Ghana has given me more than just football. It has allowed me to return home, feel closer to my roots, and experience immense pride in representing my country and wearing this flag on my chest. Ghana will always be a part of me. Wherever I am, I will continue to support the Black Stars as one of you.”
An interesting anecdote from Williams’ career involves his return to Bilbao in January 2024, just a day after Ghana was eliminated from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. He arrived in time to play in a Copa del Rey match against FC Barcelona, coming off the bench to help secure a 4-2 victory, ending a 40-year title drought for Athletic Bilbao.
In the meantime, Athletic Bilbao had a disappointing start to their La Liga campaign, suffering a 0-2 defeat against FC Barcelona. Goals from Rafinha in the 37th minute and Fermín López in the 82nd minute led to an easy win for the team, while Bilbao failed to register a single shot on target.
Lamin Yamal appeared more threatening compared to the previous match, challenging Bilbao’s goalkeeper Unai Simon just 15 minutes into the game. Despite Barcelona controlling possession, a brilliant move from Pedri set up Rafinha, who scored with impressive finesse.
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