Lugano blames Muslera after Uruguay’s World Cup debut setback

Diego Lugano’s criticism of Fernando Muslera landed as more than a complaint about one goal. It exposed the larger question hanging over Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay: with a 26-man squad built around Federico Valverde, a veteran goalkeeper in his fifth World Cup, and a group that also includes Spain and Cabo Verde, is this team delivering at the level its talent suggests?

Uruguay entered the tournament with expectations that went beyond simply surviving Group H. Bielsa announced his squad on June 1, 2026, and Muslera’s place gave the roster both continuity and pressure, especially because he arrived at age 39 for a fifth World Cup. Valverde remained the clearest reference point, while Bielsa’s broader plan was built around intensity, control and an aggressive attacking shape.

That plan had been taking form at the Mayakoba Training Centre in Playa del Carmen, where Uruguay worked through the days before its opener while Giorgian de Arrascaeta, José María Giménez and Ronald Araujo were managed separately because of physical issues. The projected lineup suggested Bielsa intended to press high and play forward, with Muslera behind Guillermo Varela, Sebastián Cáceres, Mathías Olivera and Matías Viña, then Rodrigo Bentancur and Manuel Ugarte, plus Valverde, Federico Viñas, Maximiliano Araújo and Darwin Núñez. The match against Saudi Arabia was played on June 15, 2026 at 19:00 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

The frustration around that debut is sharpened by Uruguay’s history. Since Mexico 1970, the national team had won only one of its eight World Cup openers. That lone exception came in Russia 2018, when José María Giménez headed in a winner against Egypt in the 89th minute. Uruguay also beat Saudi Arabia 1-0 in Rostov del Don that same tournament, sealed its place in the round of 16 and finished the group stage without conceding a goal, a record that only adds weight to the current debate.

Lugano’s own stance carries extra significance because he has not been outside the process. He attended the World Cup draw in Washington on December 5, 2025, where Gianni Infantino congratulated him on progress in Uruguayan football rights and on the AUF reform he helped push forward. In May, Lugano said the crisis around Bielsa had helped order and redirect the team, a reminder that his criticism is not rejection but scrutiny. That is why the argument around Muslera matters now: it is really a test of whether Bielsa’s Uruguay is maximizing a talented squad, or underperforming under the weight of its own expectations.