Inaki Williams retires from international football with Ghana before CAN 2027

Inaki Williams has ended his international career with Ghana at the age of 32, just months before CAN 2027, bringing to a close a spell that he says gave him far more personally than it did on the pitch.

The Athletic Bilbao captain confirmed his decision in a message on social media, saying he was leaving the Black Stars “happy, proud and with the peace of mind of knowing that I gave everything”.

“I think the time has come to end my adventure with the Ghana national team,” Williams wrote. “Ghana has given me much more than football. It allowed me to return home, feel even closer to my roots and experience the immense pride of representing my country.”

He added that he would continue to support the Black Stars “as one of your own”.

Williams’ decision brings an underwhelming international record to an end. After choosing to represent the country of his parents in 2022, expectations were high, but he scored only two goals in 28 appearances.

He failed to score in either the World Cup or the CAN, while his performances for Ghana rarely matched the level he had shown for Athletic Bilbao.

The forward was used both centrally and on the wing, but his pace and ability to attack space were not consistently incorporated into the Black Stars’ style of play. He also appeared to lack the same understanding with his international team-mates that he had developed at club level.

Williams had previously represented Spain at youth level and said he felt more Spanish before rejecting approaches from Ghana. He changed his international allegiance only a few weeks before the 2022 World Cup, a decision that led to accusations of opportunism.

His Ghana career therefore began amid controversy and ended without the major tournament impact many had expected from one of the country’s leading attacking options.

However, Williams placed greater emphasis on the personal significance of representing Ghana than on his statistics. Born in Spain to Ghanaian refugee parents, he used international football to reconnect with the country and heritage of his family.

He is also the older brother of Spanish world champion Nico Williams.

The announcement means Ghana will head towards CAN 2027 without one of the most prominent names to have joined its squad in recent years. Williams, though, leaves the Black Stars believing his international experience gave him something that his goals and appearances cannot fully measure.