Uruguay's Muslera Becomes First Goalkeeper Since 1966 with Three World Cup Errors Leading to Goals

Fernando Muslera, Uruguay's veteran goalkeeper, has entered the record books for an unfortunate reason during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He is now the first goalkeeper since 1966 to be responsible for three errors that directly resulted in goals conceded by his team in a single tournament.

The latest of these costly mistakes occurred during Uruguay's match against Spain. In the 42nd minute, a seemingly manageable shot from Álex Baena found the back of the net after Muslera failed to make a clean save. This error contributed to a 1-0 deficit for Uruguay.

Muslera's World Cup campaign has been marred by similar incidents. In the match against Saudi Arabia, an uncontrolled rebound from his save allowed an opponent to score. Against Cabo Verde, an ill-advised sortie from his area led to the opposing team's second goal, costing Uruguay valuable points. These errors have significantly impacted Uruguay's performance, putting their qualification hopes in jeopardy.

Coach Marcelo Bielsa substituted Muslera at halftime during the Spain match, bringing in Sergio Rochet. Muslera, who returned to the national team after a four-year absence, was participating in his fifth World Cup, a historic achievement for a Uruguayan player. However, his participation will now also be remembered for this statistically significant and rare negative record.

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Fernando Muslera 🇺🇾 is the first goalkeeper that commits three errors that derive in goals from the rival in the same edition of the FIFA World Cup since 1966.