Mainoo Or Williams: A New Ghanaian Champion In Europe Emerges After 24 Years
One of England’s Kobbie Mainoo or Spain’s Nico Williams could become the second player of Ghanaian descent to win the European Championship after France’s Marcel Desailly in 2000.
Mainoo, 19, has been impressive for the Three Lions in midfield, while Spain’s Williams has also shown his quality with electrifying attacking dynamism for La Roja.
Only a year ago in 2023, Kobbie Mainoo was featuring for England’s youth team in the U19 Euros. One year on, the Manchester United midfielder has cemented his place in Gareth Southgate’s midfield, featuring in five games in the tournament while displaying calm, composure, and maturity for a player of his age.
On the other side in red is Nico Williams, one of the breakout stars of the tournament and brother of Ghanaian forward Inaki Williams.
Nico’s parents, Felix and Maria Williams, arrived in Spain as refugees in 1994, birthing the 21-year-old in 2002 in Spain. He rose through the ranks at Athletic Bilbao at the youth level before joining the senior team in the 2020/2021 season.
Williams has improved in quality over the years and has been crucial for Spain in the wide areas in this competition, forming a balanced attacking threat for La Roja with 17-year-old Lamine Yamal.
Just like Mainoo, Williams will be aiming to secure his first international title and become a champion of Europe for the first time in his career.
Spain look the favourites after showcasing immense attacking fluidity under head coach Luis de la Fuente, but England also have enough firepower in their fold to cause the three-time winners problems across many aspects of the game.
Regardless of the result, one of these young stars of Ghanaian descent will be crowned as a European champion 24 years after Desailly in 2000. Achieving such a feat will be a truly remarkable sight for either of them on a personal level come Sunday night.
