Uruguay’s head coach Marcelo Bielsa has disclosed that goalkeeper Fernando Muslera requested to be substituted at halftime during La Celeste‘s 1-0 loss to Spain in the FIFA World Cup on Friday.
Muslera, participating in his 19th World Cup match for Uruguay, committed a critical error in the first half. The 40-year-old mishandled a shot from Spain’s Alex Baena in the 42nd minute, resulting in the game’s sole goal as the ball went in off his hands.
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Following the first half, Fernando Muslera was replaced by Sergio Rochet, marking the first time a Uruguayan goalkeeper has been substituted in a match.
Post-match, Marcelo Bielsa confirmed that Muslera’s halftime exit was at the player’s own request, not a coaching decision. He stated (via X/@FabrizioRomano):
“Fernando Muslera asked me to be subbed off at half time”
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has been challenging for the 40-year-old, who made errors leading to goals in each group-stage game. Muslera is now the only goalkeeper since 1966 to have made 3+ errors in a single World Cup campaign.
During the first half, La Roja had only one shot on target, which turned into a goal. Against Spain, Muslera recorded zero saves and had a passing accuracy of 54% (7/13). It is likely that this was Muslera’s last appearance for his national team.
Alex Baena named player of the match against Uruguay in the FIFA World Cup clash
Spain secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Uruguay in their final group stage match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, thanks to Alex Baena’s goal in his second World Cup appearance.
Playing on the left wing, the Atletico Madrid forward scored with a low cross from Marcos Llorente in the 42nd minute. Baena’s goal enabled La Roja to top Group H and avoid facing Argentina in the last 32. Cobo Verde, who finished second in Group H, will face Lionel Messi’s team.
The 24-year-old had one shot, created one chance, and achieved a passing accuracy of 75% (18/24). He was substituted in the 66th minute for Yeremi Pino. Baena was subsequently named Man of the Match for the Spain vs Uruguay game.
Edited by Vignesh Raja
