With Marcelo Bielsa at the helm, Uruguay is one of the most intriguing teams in the tournament. Bielsa, known for his high-intensity playing style, has molded Uruguay into a compact, high-pressing team. The two-time World Cup champions are aiming for another historic result. The match against Spain on the final day could prove decisive.

Coach Marcelo Bielsa has named three goalkeepers for La Celeste: Sergio Rochet, Fernando Muslera, and Santiago Mele. Uruguay will face Saudi Arabia, Spain, and Cape Verde in Group H. The trio of goalkeepers is one of the most unusual combinations in the tournament—a 39-year-old is coming out of retirement to compete in his fifth World Cup, while the second goalkeeper has been the starting choice for years and the third has only eight international caps to his name.

Rochet is 33 years old and has been Uruguay’s undisputed starting goalkeeper since the 2022 World Cup. His career path took him from the Danubio Academy to three years with AZ Alkmaar in the Eredivisie, where he gained Europa League experience, then to Sivasspor in the Turkish Süper Lig, and finally back home to Nacional — where he was the backbone of the team for four seasons and won the Uruguayan championship twice. Since July 2023, he has been with SC Internacional in Brazil’s Série A, where he is the starting goalkeeper and holds a contract through the end of 2026.

With 35 international caps and having been the number one throughout World Cup qualifying, he heads into the tournament as Bielsa’s clear first choice. Rochet isn’t a goalkeeper who stands out for his spectacular saves—he impresses with his reliability, solid positioning, and ability to stay calm in difficult moments. Exactly what Bielsa needs.

Muslera is 39 years old and is playing in his fifth World Cup—a Uruguayan record. In April 2024, after 133 international appearances, he officially announced his retirement from the national team; after 14 years with Galatasaray, eight Süper Lig titles, and the 2011 Copa América victory, that chapter seemed closed. In the summer of 2025, he moved to Estudiantes de La Plata in Argentina’s Primera División. Then Bielsa called.

Muslera is Uruguay’s all-time leader in international appearances and the most experienced goalkeeper in the entire World Cup tournament. The fact that he is traveling as a backup behind Rochet does not diminish his symbolic importance to this squad—nor his readiness to step in at any moment should Rochet be unable to play.

Mele is 28 years old and has had an unusual career path. After stints with Fénix, Osmanlıspor, and loan spells in Spain and Uruguay, he joined Atlético Junior in Colombia on a permanent basis in 2024, where he became the starting goalkeeper and helped the team win the 2023 Clausura title. In June 2025, CF Monterrey signed him to play in Liga MX. His playing time remained limited that season, as he saw little action behind starting goalkeeper Esteban Andrada. With around eight international appearances since his debut in 2023, he is the third-choice goalkeeper and Bielsa’s long-term plan for the future of the Uruguayan goal.