Uruguay’s 2026 FIFA World Cup squad is mainly made up of players born and developed in the country, although it also includes a couple of cases of players who were born elsewhere that will represent the Charruas in this tournament.
Officially, 24 out of the 26 players called by Marcelo Bielsa (where Luis Suarez isn’t featured) to play for Uruguay were actually born in the country. However, who are the two outliers? Well, one of them is actually an emblem for Uruguay in the figure of Fernando Muslera, who was born in Argentina. Muslera was the starting GK in South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, and backed up Rochet in Qatar 2022.
The other player is midfielder Rodrigo Salazar, who was born in Spain. Salazar made two appearances in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers and plays for SC Braga in Portugal’s Primeira Liga.
Are Muslera and Salazar key players for Uruguay?
Muslera was the starting goalkeeper of Uruguay for more than 10 years. However, he is coming into the 2026 World Cup in a backup capacity. The starting goalkeeper is now Sergio Rochet. Muslera has 134 international caps for Uruguay.
Fernando Muslera of Uruguay
As per Salazar, the 26-year-old midfielder has only seven international caps, but has already scored twice for the Charruas. Also able to play as a right winger, Salazar might not be key yet. Still, he could turn into a very valuable player during the World Cup.
What are FIFA eligibility rules for the 2026 World Cup?
To play for a country where the player wasn’t born in, the player has to hold either the country’s nationality, or be able to prove through a “genuine link” his ties to the country he wants to represent. This could be through birth, heritage, or long-term residency.
