Fernando Muslera has done this before. The 40-year-old Uruguayan goalkeeper, one of the most experienced shot-stoppers in international football, let a saveable effort slip through his hands, gifting Spain a goal in their 2026 FIFA World Cup Group H encounter.
Muslera initially got his gloves on the shot. Then, in the kind of moment that makes goalkeepers wake up in cold sweats for years afterward, the ball squirmed free and crossed the line.
A pattern that won’t quit
Muslera has been flagged as one of the players with the most errors leading to goals in World Cup history since 1966. The most memorable of those mistakes came during the 2018 quarterfinals against France, where a Muslera error contributed to Uruguay’s elimination. Eight years later, at an age when most goalkeepers have long since traded their gloves for a punditry chair, the script hasn’t changed much.
Muslera was born on June 16, 1986, which made him 40 years old at the time of this tournament.
