Flamengo's old foe slips up and sends Uruguay out of the World Cup | OneFootball

Eliminated by Flamengo in last year’s Libertadores, Fernando Muslera became Uruguay’s villain

The dream is over for Arrascaeta, Varela, and De La Cruz in the World Cup. This Friday (26), the trio of Flamengo players took part in Uruguay’s elimination in the first round. Playing at Akron Stadium, located in Guadalajara (Zapopan), Mexico, La Celeste lost 1-0 to Spain, with a howler from Fernando Muslera.

The goalkeeper played a decisive role in Uruguay’s first-round elimination, making mistakes in the matches against Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde, and this Friday (26) against Spain. As a result, La Celeste finished with just two points in Group H, in third place. Along with the Europeans, Cape Verde also advanced to the second round.

HOW DID THE MATCH GO?

For Uruguay, only a win mattered. However, Marcelo ‘El Loco’ Bielsa’s team had a lot of trouble creating plays. In attack, the team’s best player was Canobbio, who usually stands out for tracking back defensively, not for shots on goal.

Spain, meanwhile, who also were not having a great game, received a huge gift from Muslera. In the 42nd minute of the first half, Álex Baena hit a very weak shot, but the Uruguayan goalkeeper simply palmed it into his own net, swallowing a massive blunder. Because of that, ‘Loco’ Bielsa took the keeper off at halftime, bringing on Rochet, from Internacional, for the second half.

In the second half, Uruguay tried in every possible way, but with absolutely no organization. The team was not in sync with Marcelo Bielsa, who had clashes with the main players throughout the World Cup cycle. 

WHAT ABOUT THE FLAMENGO PLAYERS’ MINUTES?

Of Flamengo’s trio, Varela was in the starting lineup and played all 90 minutes, just as he had in the first two rounds. De La Cruz, meanwhile, came on before halftime, right after Spain’s goal, replacing the injured Manuel Ugarte. Finally, Arrascaeta, who is recovering from calf pain, did not play a single minute at the World Cup.

MUSLERA, A FLAMENGO CUSTOMER?

Uruguay’s negative standout, Muslera brings back good memories for Flamengo fans. That is because the goalkeeper lost to Mengão in last year’s Libertadores quarterfinals, while playing for Estudiantes (ARG). On that occasion, Rubro-Negro came out on top in the penalty shootout.

In 2026, the teams faced each other again, this time in the group stage. In La Plata, Muslera was outstanding and secured a 1-1 draw. However, at the Maracanã, the goalkeeper made a terrible mistake and basically handed a goal to Pedro, who made no mistake and sealed the win for the Most Beloved.

WILL THE FLAMENGO TRIO GO TO PORTUGAL?

With the early elimination of Arrascaeta, Varela, and De La Cruz, there is now anticipation over whether the trio will join Flamengo’s squad for the mid-season training camp in Portugal. The club’s plan is to give the players a few days off, something that should be confirmed in the coming hours by Rubro-Negro’s communications department.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.