Gary Neville label’s Marcelo Bielsa decision as ‘brutal’ in Spain and Uruguay clash

Gary Neville was among the ITV punditry panel for the World Cup clash between Spain and Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay.

There was little to talk about at half-time for the ITV panel from the first-half action between the nations that have lifted the World Cup on three occasions collectively.

The 2010 winners of the competition would take the lead through an Alex Baena goal in the 42nd minute; however, it was seen by the pundits as a Fernando Muslera error.

The 40-year-old keeper did not look comfortable at times through the first half, particularly under the high ball from Spanish crosses and corners.

Muslera was making his 137th cap for Uruguay, which could ultimately prove to be his last, in a game he will be hoping to forget after his mistake for the goal.

Fernando Muslera com um frango HISTÓRICO.

Lance inacreditável. pic.twitter.com/C0EQwGB9ff

— DataFut (@DataFutebol) June 27, 2026

As Baena fired his shot from the edge of the penalty area, the strike lacked much venom, power or direction; however, Muslera was unable to save the effort.

The experienced keeper appeared to be caught in two minds whether to catch the effort or to push it around the post for a Spain corner, yet he did neither, only managing to get his hands to the ball and pushing it further into the corner of the goal.

Following the halftime analysis, ITV showed the two teams entering the pitch, only for Sergio Rochet to emerge wearing the goalkeeper kit, with no sign of Muslera as he was substituted at the break.

This prompted Neville to simply say: “Brutal”, in his description of the decision by Bielsa to remove the experienced 40-year-old keeper from the action.

The second half began with Spain leading 1-0 in the match, meaning they would top the group while also eliminating the two-time world champions from the tournament.

Should they be eliminated, it would mean they had gone out at the group stage in consecutive World Cups for the first time in the nation's history.