Muslera: "I have never suffered so much, I apologize to my teammates and the Uruguayan people"

Veteran goalkeeper Fernando Muslera has issued an apology to the people of Uruguay following the national team's humiliating group stage exit from the 2026 World Cup. Marcelo Bielsa's squad suffered a 1-0 defeat to Spain in their final match, accumulating a mere two points, which proved insufficient to advance.

Alex Baena's decisive goal came after a poor intervention from Muslera himself, who was substituted at halftime. The 40-year-old custodian spoke after the match that sealed "La Celeste's" elimination: "I have never suffered so much. This is the closest I can get to addressing the Uruguayan people. I have never hidden and always face things head-on. I have never suffered so much for this sport, especially after all the work I put in and the way I prepared for the World Cup.

All World Cup matches are broadcast live on bnt.sportal.bg. The platform will stream all 104 games of the 2026 World Cup program in real-time.

As I said in the locker room, once everyone had calmed down a bit, today I deeply regret that we couldn't play a good World Cup. I apologized to them and to the entire Uruguayan nation, although that is not enough. Now it's time to be with my loved ones to regain my strength. Such is the nature of this sport, such is the nature of this position; sometimes it gives you a lot, and sometimes it takes a lot away.”

Muslera himself indeed had a subpar World Cup, with his performances against Cape Verde (2-2) also drawing criticism.

The resignation of head coach Marcelo Bielsa is now on the agenda, as reports of conflicts between him and the Uruguayan national players before and during the World Cup have been constant.