Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE

Wales captain Williams plays down Suarez comments

Wales captain Ashley Williams has addressed his remarks regarding Uruguay star striker Luis Suarez ahead of their upcoming clash in China.

Williams, Suarez

Ashley Williams (L) and Luis Suarez Source: Getty Images

Williams battled Suarez in the Premier League when the striker was at Liverpool and the 33-year-old wrote in his 2012 book, My Premier League Diary, that he had "no respect" for the Uruguayan, who "dived more than any other player".

The two will face off again when Wales play Uruguay in the China Cup final on Monday night (AEDT).

"That (comments in his book) was nothing really was it," Williams said. "It obviously got blown up a lot bigger than it was. He's always a tough opponent.

"I said at the time, he's the hardest striker to play against in the Premier League. I'm expecting a difficult game, as always.

"We feel confident about the game and we concentrate on ourselves... At the same time, with regards to Suarez, I think that he's one of the best strikers in the world, and he's definitely one of the best I've played against."

While Wales failed to qualify for this year's FIFA World Cup finals, Uruguay have been pooled with hosts Russia, Egypt and Saudi Arabia in Group A.


Watch the FIFA World Cup 2026™, Tour de France, Tour de France Femmes, Giro d’Italia, Vuelta a España, Dakar Rally, World Athletics / ISU Championships (and more) via SBS On Demand – your free live streaming and catch-up service. Read more about Sport

Have a story or comment? Contact Us


1 min read

Published

Source: Reuters


Share this with family and friends


SBS Sport Newsletter

Sign up now for the latest sport news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS Sport

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our sport podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS Sport

Sport News

News from around the sporting world

Watch now