Fernando Muslera, the 40-year-old Uruguayan goalkeeper, has publicly acknowledged that his performance during the 2026 FIFA World Cup fell well short of expectations, describing the experience as one he feels distressed about.
What went wrong in Group H
In an earlier group match against Saudi Arabia, Muslera mishandled what should have been a routine header.
The more damaging error came on June 27, 2026, in a must-win fixture against Spain in Guadalajara. Muslera’s mistake in the first half directly allowed Spain to score the only goal of the match. By halftime, at his own request, he was substituted off. Sergio Rochet came on to replace him, but the damage was done. Uruguay lost 1-0.
That result dropped Uruguay to last place in Group H, eliminating them from the tournament. It marked the second consecutive World Cup in which Uruguay failed to advance past the group stage.
