- The 40-year-old Uruguayan goalkeeper endured Uruguay’s painful elimination in the World Cup group stage before returning to La Plata, where Estudiantes supporters embraced him as one of their own.
- An ever-present for 'El Pincha' throughout the CONMEBOL Libertadores group stage, he now faces Corinthians in the quarter-finals with his sights set on one of the biggest trophies in world football.
"I never thought this sport would make me suffer so much. I really had a difficult time". Those were Fernando Muslera’s words on 26 July at Estadio UNO, following Estudiantes’ defeat to Independiente in the domestic league. The goalkeeper had just returned from Uruguay’s World Cup group-stage elimination and was met with something he had not expected: Estudiantes supporters chanting his name from the moment he came out to warm up. "I feel a mixture of pain and joy because of the reception at the stadium and the messages I received, not only from the fans but also from my team-mates", he said gratefully that night.
Just over a month later, Muslera is one of the reasons Estudiantes are among the last eight teams standing in South America. His story is also one of the most remarkable of these CONMEBOL Libertadores quarter-finals: at 40, after a career that saw him spend almost two decades in Europe, Muslera is chasing "Eternal Glory".
The Uruguayan turned 40 in June while on World Cup duty. He was coming off an outstanding season and a half in La Plata: he arrived in June 2025, made his debut in the Supercopa Internacional and, in little more than a year, had already lifted two trophies —the 2025 Torneo Clausura and the Trofeo de Campeones—, playing a decisive role in a penalty shootout against Racing. The label of "new signing" quickly became too small for him: Muslera established himself as a leader in the 'Pincha' dressing room and, in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores, was a quietly commanding presence, playing every minute of the group stage.
Following Uruguay’s campaign in North America, the goalkeeper left no doubt about how he approaches the most difficult moments. More than 20 years in the game have taught him how to deal with them: "I know how it happened and how to move forward, because it’s not the first time this has happened to me. Hopefully there will be more criticism, because it makes me stronger and keeps me moving forward, never backwards".
That mentality is perhaps the most valuable asset Estudiantes bring into their tie against Corinthians. Quarter-finals are often a goalkeeper’s territory: tight contests, fine margins and the possibility of a penalty shootout looming on the horizon. And the 'Pincha' have a specialist between the posts, a man seasoned by finals, hardened at Lazio, revered at Galatasaray —where he amassed an impressive collection of trophies— and a World Cup veteran with the 'Celeste' whose career has spanned entire generations of Uruguayan football.
His remarkable career is now chasing 'Eternal Glory'. Muslera left Nacional for Italy at a young age, leaving the CONMEBOL Libertadores as unfinished business. When he returned to South America, many saw it as the beginning of a quiet final chapter. In reality, there was another ambition behind the move: Estudiantes are four-time champions of South America, a club where the CONMEBOL Libertadores is almost a religion, and they offered the Uruguayan the perfect stage from which to pursue the title.
Fate has also added a familiar element to his return to the continent’s elite: Corinthians await, the team that knocked Estudiantes out in the only previous official meeting between the sides, in the 2023 CONMEBOL Sudamericana, when the tie was decided on penalties at Estadio UNO. The 'Timão' arrive after eliminating Rosario Central despite playing with ten men for more than half an hour; the 'Pincha' bring their traditional mystique, Guido Carrillo and Tiago Palacios in goalscoring form, and a goalkeeper who has been through just about everything in his career and has always kept moving forward, just as he promised.
La Plata has already embraced him as one of its own. Now Muslera faces the part of the story he chose when he decided to come back: three steps —the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final— and the possibility that the suffering he spoke about on that July night will prove to have been nothing more than the prologue to the most glorious page of all.
