Muslera Substituted After Mistake in Uruguay's Loss to Spain

During the World Cup 2026 match on Friday, Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera requested to be substituted at halftime after a 1-0 defeat to Spain. Muslera, who is 40 years old, made a critical error in the first half, mishandling a shot from Spain's Alex Baena in the 42nd minute, which resulted in the only goal of the match.

Following this incident, Muslera was replaced by Sergio Rochet, marking him as the first Uruguayan goalkeeper in history to be substituted during a match. Uruguay's head coach, Marcelo Bielsa, clarified that the decision for Muslera's substitution was not his but rather the goalkeeper's own request.

This match was part of a disappointing campaign for Muslera, who has made errors in every group stage match, leading to goals for the opposition. He became the first goalkeeper in World Cup history since 1966 to commit three errors in a single tournament.