Muslera Substituted After Costly Error as Uruguay Faces World Cup Exit

Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera, 40, was substituted at halftime in a critical World Cup match against Spain after another major mistake led to a goal. In the 42nd minute, Alex Baena scored Spain’s first goal after Muslera mishandled the play, and the veteran keeper immediately held his head in frustration.

The match took place overnight between Friday and Saturday, and the replacement came only minutes after the error. The article says this may have been not only Muslera’s final appearance in the tournament, but possibly his last match in the national team shirt. Uruguay was described as being in danger of elimination.

International coverage was harsh. Reporters wrote that Marcelo Bielsa should have stopped trusting Muslera even before Uruguay’s final group-stage game, and accused the goalkeeper of “single-handedly” sending La Celeste out of the World Cup. One quoted reaction said, “It is time to retire from football.”

According to Sofascore, Muslera is the only goalkeeper since 1966 to record five mistakes that directly led to goals in World Cups. The article lists those errors as a conceded rebound against Saudi Arabia, a long-range free kick goal by Cabo Verde, being caught out of position for Cabo Verde’s second goal, and the latest fumble on Baena’s shot against Spain.