Why Uruguay benched goalkeeper Fernando Muslera vs. Spain with World Cup hopes on the line

Marcelo Bielsa is a legendary figure at the head of Uruguay, but he has made a number of mistakes that have cost the national team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Uruguay sputtered to disappointing draws against both Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde in group stage play, leaving them in a dire position needing a result against group leaders Spain in their finale.

Even so, Bielsa refused to change his ways, keeping Uruguay's starting lineup and tactical approach intact rather than adjusting to the preferences and abilities of his squad. It came to a head at halftime of the match against Spain, as his goalkeeper made yet another critical error, forcing Bielsa to make an unprecedented call for the second half.

The Sporting News explains why Uruguay substituted their goalkeeper off to begin the second half, and where that decision came from.

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Who is Fernando Muslera?

The 40-year-old Fernando Muslera is a legend of the Uruguay national team. Having made over 130 international appearances, Muslera has been a fixture in goal for Uruguay since he debuted in 2009.

He has made World Cup appearances in four tournaments, first in 2010 and again in 2014, 2018, and 2026, with Uruguay missing the World Cup in 2022.

Muslera lost his starting spot to Sergio Rochet in 2022, but was brought back into the fold by Marcelo Bielsa in March of 2026 and handed the starting spot for the World Cup, seemingly out of nowhere.

Why did Uruguay start Fernando Muslera vs. Spain?

Marcelo Bielsa made a huge call ahead of a must-win match against Spain, hoping to help Uruguay secure a spot in the knockout stage.

During the Cape Verde match, Muslera was a disaster, making just two saves on four total shots on target faced, and making an error leading to a goal.

Muslera had come out to challenge a giveaway deep outside his penalty area, but the Cape Verde player got to it first, leaving the goalkeeper in no-man's land and leading to a goal.

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According to multiple reports out of Uruguay, there was a minor player revolt ahead of the match against Spain, with a host of veteran players approaching Bielsa to change both the tactics and the lineup for the must-win game. One of those players, reportedly, was Sergio Rochet, the backup goalkeeper.

Bielsa turned down the requests and fired back, the reports said, as he stuck to his guns and started Muslera in the group stage finale.

It's the first time Muslera has faced criticism for allowing weaker goals. Earlier this year in the Argentine league, he committed an egregious blunder that nearly eliminated his team in the group stage. 

✨⚽️ ¡QUÉ GOLEADOR! Pedro y el gol de la victoria para @Flamengo. pic.twitter.com/9sLiYLIvZJ

MORE: Updates, highlights from Spain-Uruguay World Cup match

Why did Uruguay bench Fernando Muslera vs. Spain?

Bielsa was forced to admit his mistake at halftime of the match against Spain, as Uruguay trailed 1-0 thanks to a goal from Alex Baena.

The goal came off yet another mistake by Fernando Muslera, as he got both hands to the shot but did not manage to stop the effort, as the ball rebounded off his hands and into the back of the net.

By this point, it was clear that Muslera was not the man to keep Uruguay in the match, and he made the aggressive call to swap goalkeepers at halftime. Substituting a goalkeeper for tactical reasons and not due to injury is a highly unusual move for a manager, and often leaves the goalkeeper in an embarrassing and complicated position.