Inaki Williams was absent from Athletic Bilbao’s league defeat to Celta Vigo as he picked up a muscular injury prior to the match.
It was the first time in 252 matches that the Ghanaian international did not feature in a league game for Bilbao. The last time such a thing happened was in April 2016, when he missed out on his side’s away win at Malaga.
A lot has changed in football since that time, as we look at 8 facts that put into perspective how long that impressive streak was.
1. MESSI AND RONALDO’S INTERNATIONAL TROPHY DROUGHT
Back in April 2016, the legendary duo of Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo had won everything at club level but were still searching for a senior international trophy. A couple of months later, Cristiano Ronaldo landed a UEFA European Championship title before guiding his side to the UEFA Nations League three years later. Leo Messi had to exercise more patience as he eventually carried his side to a Copa America title in 2021 and then followed it with the biggest prize in football, the FIFA World Cup. Sandwiched between those two titles was the 2022 Finalissima.
2. GUARDIOLA STILL BAYERN MUNICH MANAGER
Spanish tactician Pep Guardiola was still in Germany, guiding Bayern Munich to a third consecutive league title. Several months later, English giants Manchester City acquired the services of the Catalan, who has now guided them to over 10 trophies, including four Premier League titles. This season, he looks to add yet another league title, and standing in the way is Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal.
3. MIKEL ARTETA STILL PLAYING FOOTBALL
When Inaki Willam’s consecutive matches run was just starting, Mikel Arteta was still just a player at Arsenal under the stewardship of the iconic Arsene Wenger. In the summer of 2016, having retired from the game, he signed for Manchester City as Pep Guardiola’s assistant before leaving for a permanent managerial job at Arsenal in December 2019. He is now performing some magic in the capital, as Arsenal are edging closer to their first league title in close to two decades.
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4. HAALAND DOING MUSIC
The Norwegian goal-machine who is on course to smash the Premier League goal record for a season was not yet a first-team player back in April 2016. Later that year, he even recorded a song on YouTube alongside two of his friends titled “Flow Kingz Feat Lyng – Kygo Jo”. The jam has now amassed over 10 million views on the streaming platform.
5. MAMELODI SUNDOWNS HALFWAY TO THE DOZEN
South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns had only won half the PSL titles they currently have. Back in April 2016, the Brazilians had only won six Premier Soccer League titles, just a couple ahead of the Soweto duo of Kaizer Chiefs (4) and Mamelodi Sundowns (4). Seven years down the line, Sundowns have secured 12 Premier Soccer League titles in total and look set to make it 13 since 1996.
6. SALAH STILL A CHELSEA PLAYER
The Egyptian King, Mo Salah, was still tied to Chelsea Football Club at the time, though on loan at AS Roma. He was a talismanic presence in the capital of Italy that season, claiming the club’s Player of the Season award. His performances at Roma caught the eye of a Merseyside club, Liverpool, which paid £34.3 million to bring the Egyptian back to the Premier League. This was just a year after his permanent transfer from Chelsea to Roma. The speedy winger blew away the Premier League in his first season for the Reds, breaking the 38-game scoring record. Now an undisputed legend for the club, Mo Salah has scored 173 goals, won three Premier League Golden Boots, and has been decorated with all seven possible trophies a player can win while playing in England.
7. KYLIAN MBAPPE UNKNOWN
Back in 2016, Kylian Mbappe was relatively unknown on the world stage as he was just breaking into the starting XI at AS Monaco. He first caught media attention in 2017 when he scored twice to knock Pep Guardiola’s City out of the Champions League, and a year later he danced past defenses to light up the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Now a scorer of a hat-trick in the World Cup final, the Frenchman has collected over 10 career trophies at just 24 including the biggest of the lot, the FIFA World Cup.
8. WILLIAMS NOT YET A PROFESSIONAL
Nico Williams, the younger brother of Inaki, was still just an academy prospect at Athletic Bilbao.
The tricky winger had just turned into a teenager. Half a dozen years later, the sibling duo of Inaki and Nico both made their debuts at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, representing Ghana and Spain, respectively.
