**Goalkeeper: Fernando Muslera (Uruguay)**

Wearing a "legacy" patch on his sleeve for participating in five or more World Cups, Muslera set a record by making three direct errors leading to goals in a single tournament.

In the opening 1-1 draw, Uruguay's goalkeeper fumbled the ball, allowing Abdullah Al-Mari to open the scoring for Saudi Arabia. In the second match, Muslera's ill-advised charge out of goal enabled Helio Varela to equalize 2-2 for Cape Verde by slotting the ball into an empty net.

In the decisive match, Uruguay needed at least one point to keep their hopes alive. However, Muslera erred again, failing to hold onto a shot from Alex Baena, which resulted in Uruguay's 0-1 loss and elimination from the group stage.

**Defender: Danilo (Brazil)**

Granted a starting spot after Wesley's injury and Ibanez's poor performance in the first half of the opening match against Morocco, Danilo did not meet expectations.

The 35-year-old defender made a misplaced pass in midfield, leading to Japan's goal against Brazil in the round of 16. He continued to perform poorly, including failing to close down Erling Haaland, who then scored from outside the box to complete his brace, contributing to Brazil's 1-2 loss to Norway in the round of 8.

**Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal)**

Once a defensive pillar for Senegal and having played for major clubs like Napoli and Chelsea for many years, Koulibaly endured a World Cup to forget.

The captain and center-back repeatedly made errors during the group stage matches, including a poor pass that led to Senegal conceding a goal in their 2-3 loss to Norway, resulting in him losing his starting position. By the round of 16 match against Belgium, Koulibaly was not even brought onto the field.

**Piero Hincapie (Ecuador)**

Arriving at World Cup 2026 with high expectations after an impressive season with Arsenal and considered one of the leaders of Ecuador's talented generation, Hincapie failed to deliver.

The center-back became a weak link in Ecuador's defense and did not have a single convincing performance throughout the tournament. Hincapie also received a red card for covering his mouth while speaking with an opponent during the 0-2 loss to Mexico in the round of 16.

**Midfielder: Casemiro (Brazil)**

Unable to replicate his impressive form from the 2025-2026 season with Manchester United, Casemiro emerged as one of Brazil's weaknesses at World Cup 2026.

The 34-year-old midfielder appeared slow, struggled in tackles, and left significant gaps in central midfield. Casemiro's ineffective performances caused numerous problems for Brazil's midfield under coach Carlo Ancelotti throughout the tournament.

Casemiro's most notable contribution was an equalizer header in Brazil's 2-1 victory over Japan in the round of 16.

**Vitinha (Portugal)**

Vitinha failed to display the form of a midfielder who once dominated Europe's central areas, helping PSG win the Champions League two consecutive times. He lost the mobility, control of the game through short passes, and intelligent movements that were his strengths at the club level.

His below-par performances led to Vitinha being substituted multiple times in Portugal's World Cup 2026 matches. He left the tournament without contributing to any goals.

**Federico Valverde (Uruguay)**

Valverde epitomized Uruguay's disappointing World Cup 2026 campaign. The Real Madrid midfielder delivered poor performances in the group stage, where he was tasked with dictating play but could not leverage his usual ability to create chances and penetrate the box, as seen at his club.

Valverde was also reportedly part of a group of players in conflict with coach Marcelo Bielsa before the final group stage match against Spain.

**Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium)**

The final World Cup for one of Belgium's "golden generation" icons did not go as hoped. The 35-year-old midfielder scored only one goal in five appearances at the tournament.

De Bruyne was even substituted early in the second half when Belgium trailed Senegal 0-2 in the round of 16. After his departure, Belgium's play improved, leading to a 3-2 comeback victory. He remained on the bench for the win against the United States in the round of 8 and made no impact in the quarter-final loss to Spain.

**Florian Wirtz (Germany)**

Although his first season with Liverpool was not perfect, Wirtz was expected to be a bright spot for Germany at World Cup 2026. However, the young talent disappointed, failing to make a significant impact within a team that lacked attacking ideas and was eliminated early from the tournament.

**Forward: Luis Diaz (Colombia)**

Diaz played energetically, taking nine attempts with seven on target in 480 minutes at World Cup 2026, but scored only one goal. The Bayern Munich forward was subdued and failed to demonstrate leadership against Switzerland, where Colombia lost 3-4 in a penalty shootout.

**Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)**

What may be the final World Cup appearance for one of football's greatest players was overshadowed more by off-field controversies than on-field performances. Ronaldo garnered attention with his statement, "Winning the Euro is as important as the World Cup," while his professional impact in the tournament fell short of expectations.

The forward scored his first World Cup knockout stage goal from a penalty, but he did not significantly influence Portugal's overall play. The team's most crucial goal of the tournament, in the stoppage-time victory against Croatia, came from substitute forward Goncalo Ramos.

Hong Duy

_Photos: Reuters, AP_