Bielsa admits responsibility after Uruguay’s humiliating World Cup exit

Uruguay ended its 2026 World Cup campaign in one of the most disappointing runs in its history, exiting in the group stage with just two points, no wins, and defeats including a final 1-0 loss to Spain. Earlier results against Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia were also poor, leaving Marcelo Bielsa’s side out before the knockout rounds.

The decisive blow against Spain came in the 42nd minute, when Alex Baena scored after a major mistake by veteran goalkeeper Fernando Muslera, who failed to deal with the ball properly. That error was part of a disastrous tournament for Muslera, who was directly involved in several costly incidents and finished with three errors leading to goals, an unprecedented figure in the modern World Cup.

At halftime against Spain, Bielsa replaced Muslera with Sergio Rochet, a move that underlined the depth of the crisis. He later drew criticism for also taking off captain Federico Valverde during the match, even though Uruguay needed at least a point to stay alive. Bielsa said he wanted to add more attacking presence.

After the elimination, Bielsa defended his decisions and took full responsibility. He said the team’s conversion rate was “very bad,” adding that opponents scored goals that could have been avoided. He also stressed that Muslera had a great personality and had been in excellent form before the tournament, and that he did not want to damage the goalkeeper’s confidence. Bielsa said, “The decision to drop Muslera was his,” and added, “The public and the fans want to blame me, and I am responsible and I accept that. What am I leaving for Uruguayan football? Nothing. If you ask how I will be remembered, as a person who passed by and left nothing.”