'A story of human trafficking, hope and love'

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

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

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

Before Saturday's last-16 necktie against Georgia (20:00 BST), they are seen arsenic a duo that tin return nan state to a imaginable greatness not seen since they won nan Euros successful 2008 and 2012 respectively.

They person go awesome friends, pinch Williams looking aft nan teen - inspired by really his older relative Inaki looked aft him successful their younger days.

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

Just past week, Nico said retired against a racist societal media guidance to Marca's headline, while nan Spanish Federation besides offered instant condemnation successful support.

The Williams are alert much than astir of nan immense level shot offers. They are wished to condemn racism astatine each opportunity and are very alert nan work their words carry.

Just really 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 understand why Felix, his father, had problems pinch his feet.

Only erstwhile he was 18 and already playing for Athletic Club's first squad did his mother Maria show him really they had been damaged by nan burning sands of nan Sahara godforsaken arsenic nan pregnant Maria and her hubby near Ghana successful hunt of a amended life.

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

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

He put them successful touch pinch Catholic leader Inaki Mardones. He recovered them authorities lodging successful Bilbao and took them to infirmary wherever Inaki was calved and named aft nan young priest, who besides agreed to beryllium Inaki's godfather.

The first gift he gave his godson? His first reddish and achromatic striped Athletic jersey.

Nico would opportunity later: "Thanks to God we are each present together now, surviving a really bully life. My parents are getting to watch their sons prosper, which is why they came here. Everything we do is for our parents.

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

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

Despite their caller recovered security, life was acold from easy for nan Williams family. They moved 150 kilometres southbound eastbound to Pamplona.

Nicholas Williams Arthuer was calved location connected July 12, 2002, but incapable to find capable activity to support his family, Felix moved to London doing immoderate he could to nonstop money home.

He cleared tables successful a nutrient hallway successful a Chelsea shopping centre and worked arsenic a information guard, moreover connected nan turnstiles astatine Chelsea FC.

He was distant for 10 years - he is backmost successful Bilbao now - during which clip Inaki became for illustration a begetter to Nico, while their mother 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 clear nan table, lavation nan 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 watch complete Nico each nan way.

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

"For maine he is simply a reference, he 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, he advises me, he has ever done it actually, but we get on very well. He is my brother, but he besides acts arsenic a begetter a little."

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

After nan final, they instantly went to sojourn their mum, who was incapable to watch nan lucifer arsenic fans were banned from nan stadium because of nan Covid pandemic.

Nico has recovered a caller soulmate successful nan nationalist side, he has a tight enslaved pinch nan 16-year-old arena Lamine Yamal.

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

There are surely elements of really Nico utilized to interact pinch his older brother.

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

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

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

Although readying a time retired successful nan superior connected his time off, he was asked alternatively to spell retired pinch nan youngster, who was kicking his heels wondering what to do pinch his spare time.

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

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

"Nico gets up, gets fresh and goes successful hunt of Lamine. He knocks connected nan doorway of nan Barca player's room 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 head 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 aliases moreover commencement from a much cardinal position.

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

A disappointing show successful Spain's Euro 2024 opener against Croatia made him fearfulness he would beryllium dropped. It besides made him doubly wished to show what he could do against Italy.

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

If Yamal stood retired against Croatia, against Italy Nico took command. He has had six successful dribbles successful nan Euros truthful far, only Yamal surpasses him, pinch seven.

He has already made 16 appearances for Spain and seems for illustration a matter of clip earlier nan biggest clubs successful nan world beckon.

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

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

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

For nan clip being though he still has unfinished business pinch Spain, nan state whose garment he wears pinch favoritism and pride.