Unai Simón, Nico Williams, Aymeric Laporte receive ovation before La Liga match

San Mamés did what San Mamés does best on August 22: it roared. Unai Simón, Nico Williams, and Aymeric Laporte walked onto the pitch in Bilbao alongside the FIFA World Cup trophy, and the standing ovation that followed was the kind of noise that makes stadium architects nervous. The pre-match ceremony took place before Athletic Club’s La Liga jornada 2 fixture against Sevilla, marking the first time the trio appeared at their home ground since helping Spain lift their second World Cup title on July 19. A World Cup summer to remember Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in extra time at MetLife Stadium to claim the trophy. Ferran Torres found the net in the 106th minute, converting from a Nico Williams assist to settle an otherwise deadlocked final. Simón, Athletic’s goalkeeper, was rewarded with the Golden Glove after allowing just one goal across the entire competition. Rodri claimed the Golden Ball as the tournament’s outstanding player. Williams provided the assist on the biggest stage imaginable, Simón’s gloves were essentially vacuum-sealed, and Laporte anchored the backline that made it all possible. The three players returned to Athletic Club training on August 10, roughly three wee...