Néstor Fernando Muslera Micol (born 16 June 1986, Buenos Aires) is a Uruguayan international footballer. Playing as a goalkeeper, Muslera wore the Galatasaray jersey between 2011 and 2025 and earned his place among the club’s legendary players. He holds the records for most league appearances and most league titles won by a goalkeeper in Galatasaray history.^【1】Uruguay national team, he won the 2011 Copa América title, finished fourth at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and is among the goalkeepers with the most appearances in tournament history.^【2】

^{Fernando Muslera (}Anadolu Ajansı⁾

Fernando Muslera was born on 16 June 1986 in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. He was named after Fernando Morena, a Uruguayan forward admired by his family.^【3】Muslera played as a forward until the age of eight, before switching to goalkeeping. He began his football career in the youth academy of Montevideo Wanderers, where at age 15 he started playing for the reserve team, before transferring to Nacional, one of Uruguay’s most historic clubs.

Muslera has stated that as a child he never wanted to be a goalkeeper, but was consistently moved into goal due to his tall stature. He recalled that at ages eight or nine, he was not good at goalkeeping, conceded many goals, and would cry after every goal he let in. As he gradually learned the position, he came to admire it deeply.

His transition to goalkeeping occurred during a Wanderers match he attended to watch a friend. During halftime, some young players invited him to play in goal. After saving several shots, he returned to the stands and was noticed by coach Alfredo Torena, who asked him: Do you want to start at Wanderers? Shortly after, he began cycling to training. He recalls those years with the words: I remember those days—we would cycle to Parque Viera, take the bus, and train at Wanderers’ facilities.

In 2003, he was called up to the Uruguay U-17 national team under Jorge Da Silva. In 2004, with first-choice goalkeeper Diego Irigoyen suspended, coach Jorge Barrios gave Muslera his debut against Peñarol. Wanderers lost 1–2. Shortly after, Muslera transferred to Nacional and six months later moved to Italy’s Lazio, beginning his European career.

Fernando Muslera married Patricia Callero on 1 January 2016. The couple has three children: son Kailash, born in 2017; daughter Tiziana, born in 2019; and daughter Dominique, born in 2022. Muslera expressed his devotion to his family with the words: When I came to Istanbul, I came alone. I will return with five people. He considers Turkey his second home and has a tattoo of the Turkish map on his arm.

Muslera says he loves Istanbul and finds beauty in every corner of the city. He dislikes snowy weather, especially when it snows during training. He had no difficulty adapting to Turkish cuisine and says he loves tea the most, drinking ten cups a day. He considers Alex Telles his closest friend in Istanbul and maintains good relations with other foreign footballers.

Speaking about Fenerbahçe goalkeeper Volkan Demirel, Muslera said he holds him in high regard, recalling that they shared a flight to Italy and had the chance to talk. He described Volkan as an excellent person and a goalkeeper renowned not only in Turkey but worldwide.

Muslera has maintained close relationships with goalkeepers and coaches from the Uruguay national team. Despite playing in many countries throughout his career, he has always preserved his Uruguayan identity. Like the Uruguayan forward Fernando Morena after whom he was named, Muslera is regarded among the greatest goalkeepers in South American football history. In 2018, he was named “Sportsman of the Year” by GQ Türkiye.^【4】

In August 2007, Muslera transferred to Italy’s Lazio for approximately three million euros, marking the start of his European career. He made his debut on 16 September 2007 against Cagliari. On 7 October 2007, he delivered a poor performance in a 1–5 defeat to Milan, being blamed for four goals, after which he was relegated to the bench. After a long period on the substitutes’ bench, he returned to the starting lineup in January 2009 due to the poor form of Juan Pablo Carrizo and conflicts with the coaching staff. His performances contributed significantly to the team’s success. He saved a penalty from Antonio Cassano against Sampdoria and made crucial saves in away wins against Napoli and Genoa. Known to Lazio fans as Castorino (Little Badger), Muslera played a pivotal role in Lazio’s 2008–09 Coppa Italia triumph. In the final against Sampdoria, which ended 1–1 after normal time, he saved two penalties in the shootout to secure the trophy for his team. It is known that before the match, he told his mother Norma Micol: Pray to Our Lady of Lourdes; if we win, we will buy the largest statue. He kept his word. In the 2009 Supercoppa Italiana, he helped Lazio defeat José Mourinho’s Famous Treble-contending Inter Milan to win another trophy.^【5】

^{Fernando Muslera (}Anadolu Ajansı⁾

On 19 July 2011, while playing for the Uruguay national team at the 2011 Copa América, Galatasaray announced that Muslera had signed a five-year contract. The transfer was completed with the loan of Lorik Cana to Lazio and an additional payment of 6.75 million euros by Galatasaray.^【6】Muslera earned an annual salary of two million euros. Recommended by head coach Fatih Terim, Muslera joined Galatasaray in 2011 but started poorly. In his first match against Başakşehir, he appeared uncertain, and two matches later received a red card against Karabükspor. However, he quickly adapted to the team. Muslera credits legendary goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel with a major role in his arrival at Galatasaray, describing him as Master, Idol, Father, Brother, Everything.

In his first season at Galatasaray (2011–12), Muslera kept 16 clean sheets in 32 league matches, breaking the 15-clean-sheet record previously held by Claudio Taffarel and Faryd Mondragon.^【7】On 8 April 2012, on the final day of the season, he scored his first career goal from a penalty in a 4–0 win over Manisaspor, and also broke the record for most consecutive league matches without conceding a goal (19). Muslera described this goal as one of the most valuable moments of his life.

Before Muslera’s arrival, Galatasaray had not won the league title for three consecutive seasons. In the 2011–12 season, his first year at the club, they won the title and have since claimed six league championships in the last 13 seasons.^【9】Muslera has won a total of 19 trophies with Galatasaray, including eight Turkish Süper Lig titles, and has played in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

In the 2023–24 season, at age 37, he delivered the best performance of his career. In 25 Süper Lig appearances, he conceded 14 goals, achieving an average of 0.56 goals per match, placing him among the top three goalkeepers in Europe’s leading leagues with the fewest goals conceded. He ranked third behind PSV’s Argentine Walter Benítez (0.45) and Inter Milan’s Swiss Yann Sommer (0.50).^【10】

Over 14 seasons at Galatasaray, Muslera made 550 official appearances, conceded 592 goals, and kept 194 clean sheets.^【11】He received four red cards and 62 yellow cards in these matches. Muslera scored two goals for Galatasaray, both from penalties: the first against Manisaspor in the 2011–12 season and the second against Kayserispor in the 2024–25 season.^【12】

• Most league appearances in Galatasaray history (442 matches—surpassing Bülent Korkmaz’s record of 428)
• Most appearances by a foreign player in the Süper Lig (442 matches)
  Most league titles won by a goalkeeper in the Süper Lig (8 titles—surpassing Şenol Güneş’s record)
• Most trophies won by a foreign player at Galatasaray (19 trophies)^【13】

• 8 Süper Lig titles (2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25)
• 5 Turkish Cup titles
• 6 TFF Süper Cup titles
• Total of 19 trophies

During his 14 seasons at Galatasaray, Muslera worked under five different presidents (Ünal Aysal, Duygun Yarsuvat, Mustafa Cengiz, Burak Elmas, Dursun Özbek) and nine different head coaches (Fatih Terim, Roberto Mancini, Cesare Prandelli, Hamza Hamzaoğlu, Mustafa Denizli, Jan Olde Riekerink, Igor Tudor, Domenec Torrent, Okan Buruk).^【14】He has stated that Fatih Terim and Claudio Taffarel were instrumental in bringing him to Galatasaray.

Muslera has stated that the most goals he ever conceded in a single match was six, against Real Madrid. He said he felt personally responsible, acknowledging that no goalkeeper could ever imagine such a result, but emphasized that he had to recover quickly.

On 30 May 2025, Muslera played his final match in the Galatasaray jersey, against Başakşehir, in the last round of the Süper Lig.^【15】At his farewell press conference, he said: It was the best decision of my life. Fourteen years ago, I came here alone to this beautiful country and this wonderful club. Now I return with my family. ^【16】Galatasaray President Dursun Özbek announced that the club signed a protocol with Muslera for international service and confirmed that his bond with Galatasaray would remain unbroken.

After leaving Galatasaray, Muslera transferred to Argentina’s Estudiantes de La Plata in July 2025, signing a contract until 31 December 2026.^【17】He joined Estudiantes as their first major signing.

Muslera made his debut for the Uruguay national team on 10 October 2009 against Ecuador, which Uruguay won. Head coach Óscar Tabárez said of Muslera: We were looking for a goalkeeper who could cover Uruguay’s goalkeeping era, and we turned to Muslera. He is young and at an age to gain experience. Mistakes? They always happen, in every match. Moreover, today’s balls are becoming increasingly complex for goalkeepers.

As Uruguay’s first-choice goalkeeper at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, he helped the team finish fourth. In the quarter-final against Ghana, he saved two penalties in the shootout, playing a decisive role in Uruguay’s advancement to the semi-finals. He was instrumental in Uruguay’s 2011 Copa América triumph, their first since 1995. In the quarter-final against Argentina, he saved a penalty from Carlos Tevez, securing Uruguay’s place in the final and was named Man of the Match. He also represented Uruguay in the Copa América tournaments of 2015, 2016 (Centenario), and 2019.

Muslera has played 17 matches in Copa América history, placing him among the tournament’s most-capped goalkeepers. He appeared in four consecutive Copa América tournaments (2011, 2015, 2016, 2019). He represented Uruguay in three World Cups (2010, 2014, 2018) and is the fourth-most capped player in the history of the Uruguay national team (133 appearances).^【18】According to AUF (Uruguayan Football Association) data, he has made 97 appearances for the national team and conceded 105 goals.^【19】Muslera has worked under three different national team coaches: Óscar Tabárez (92 matches), Celso Otero (4 matches), and Juan Verzeri (1 match).

^{Fernando Muslera (}Anadolu Ajansı⁾

Muslera is renowned for his acrobatic style in goal. He excels in shot-stopping, particularly in one-on-one situations and aerial duels. He is capable of making saves in unexpected moments—even with his face. Thanks to match-winning saves, he has entered football fans’ lexicon with phrases such as Whoever has Muslera wins and At the last moment, Muslera. During his Galatasaray career, he saved 16 penalties and achieved over 200 clean sheets in his career.^【20】

Regarding penalty saves, Muslera says: If I can’t stop thinking, I motivate myself by visualizing the save I will make.