Dreams of tackling Messi and Suarez wrecked as Portsmouth winger Ryan Williams' perfect summer lies in tatters

That Copa America ambition was to be set against the backdrop of one of the happiest days of Ryan Williams’ life, as he married his partner and mother to his baby boy.

The idyllic setting of Lake Como was to be the venue for the wedding amid friends and loved ones hopefully, of course, after a memorable conclusion to a first season back at Fratton Park after his return from Rotherham.

The coronavirus had other ideas, however, with the global pandemic decimating those plans as it continues to grip the globe.

Australia’s participation in the South American competition, which was due to take place in Argentina and Columbia in June and July, was the path the Pompey winger was hoping to take to pit his wits against some of the very best talent in the world.

The Socceroos had been set to face Messi’s nation of birth alongside Suarez’s Uruguay, Chile, Bolivia and Paraguay in the competition’s draw at the end of last year.

Now, like in much of football, only uncertainty remains over their participation - with the likelihood they will not be involved in any rearranged event.

After making his debut for Graham Arnold’s side last year, Williams has hopes of continuing his involvement at international level, but the Perth-born man feels that may now be with a focus on qualifying for the next World Cup.

And the 26-year-old anticipates it will be club competitions which will be where the emphasis lies for the foreseeable future.

Williams said: ‘I don’t quite know what will happen now with the Copa America.

‘I’ve had some liaising with Football Australia and from what it looks like we aren’t going to participate in it.

‘We’re going to have to wait and see how it pans out because it’s not a must for us.

‘What everyone wants is to go to Qatar in 2022 so we have to get those qualifiers done. I think that’s an international view.

‘The (fixture) windows in October and November are probably going to get sacked off because that’s when the Premier League and other leagues are, not going to get this season finished, but get the next one up and running.

‘I think international football is going to have to take a back step compared to club football, at the highest levels especially.

‘We’ll get those games played eventually, but finishing this season is going to be more important at the moment.’

Williams is not the only Pompey player to have his wedding plans dashed, with striker John Marquis also due to tie the knot this summer.

But with Lombardy region of northern Italy ravaged by Covid-19 and the epicentre of the Italian outbreak, it’s been clear for some time the May 28 date would not be going ahead.

Williams is philosophical about that disappointment with lives destroyed by the impact of the coronavirus.

He added: ‘I’ve had to change my wedding to next year, but everyone is in the same position and I’m lucky in terms of employment.

‘Everyone has been able to get their money back for flights and BA have been good with us.

‘It was going to be in Lake Como and that’s in Lombardy, which is the worst region affected.

‘It was the first place shut down in Europe, so we’d knew we’d need to change it but we didn’t realise how big all of this was going to be get.

‘Everything has been changed and put back to next year now.

‘It’s a nice place and we chose it for a reason - plus we don’t want to go through all the wedding planning again!’