Jose Mourinho always has his preferences. And when it comes to the Lamine Yamal vs Nico Williams debate, we now know where he sits. And it’s not with the younger one.
Mourinho, who famously signed Luka Modric for Madrid despite nobody “believing he was a good player for Real Madrid,” hopes Los Blancos share the same passion he has for Nico Williams.
“In the Euros, people were all saying Yamal, Yamal, Yamal…”, Mourinho told Spanish radio network Cope.
“He’s a wonderful boy, but I, personally, prefer more of Nico Williams”.
“I hope he ends up at Real Madrid.”
Both players, Yamal and Williams, made UEFA’s official team of the Tournament after leading Spain to their fourth European Championship. Yamal, 17, won Young Player of the Tournament.
But who is the better player is up to the eye of the beholder. Jose Mourinho’s preference for Williams sparks conversations about what makes a winger indispensable in today’s game.
Who do you prefer: Yamal or Nico Williams?
Comparing the two rising stars, both wingers, is more of a preference, as Mourinho’s provocative words suggest.
Williams, 22, was blown away by Yamal’s maturity during the Euros tournament.
“We were going to play the semi-final of the European Championship, I was shitting myself and he was sleeping. This kid… How do you fall asleep before such an important game?!” Williams said of Yamal.
Yamal is the creative force of Barcelona on the left wing, scoring six and delivering 11 assists in 19 games across La Liga and Champions League so far this season.
Nico Williams has only two goals and five assists in 20 matches this term, raw numbers that are comparatively worse than Yamal’s. But the left winger offers a different gravy: versatility and power.
Williams’ high-energy pace, work rate, and defensive contributions appeal to pragmatic managers like Mourinho, who might value tactical discipline more than flair. It’s also biased, as the former Real Madrid boss embraces the incendiary comments. After all, a Real Madrid fan’s worst nightmare is seeing Lamal on one end and Williams on the flank.
