• Between 2009 and 2022, Fernando Muslera earned 133 caps for Uruguay

• Muslera entered Europe via Lazio

• Muslera is Galatasaray’s leading foreign appearance-maker

Akshat Mehrish The night sky above the Ali Sami Yen Spor Kompleksi in Istanbul sparkles with stars from Galatasaray’s past and present. Some of Gala’s heroes have affixed their place for eternity through their endless devotion to the club, most of whom rose from the same sands as the team they would go on to represent. One individual stands out, however. Fernando Muslera is no less a Galatasaray great than any of his predecessors or contemporaries, with a marked distinction: he has etched his name in the club’s history, despite hailing from the other side of the world. As of the end of the 2022-23 season, Muslera, a former Uruguay international-turned-legend, is Galatasaray’s sixth-highest appearance-maker in competitive games throughout history, accruing more than 450 caps for the Turkish giants across his 12-year stay. The custodian is, however, the club’s leading foreign appearance-maker and the highest-capped goalkeeper. Fernando Muslera’s appearances for Gala in just the Turkish League rank him fourth on the list. His trophy haul, similarly, makes him the club’s fourth-most successful player since its foundation.

For Galatasaray, who purchased Muslera from Italian side Lazio over a decade ago, the combined 11.75 million euros they spent — their second-highest fee on the books then — make for a sensational return on investment. A tall and springy custodian with a quiver full of acrobatic saves that he often deploys to thwart his opposition attackers as they attempt to breach the goal, Fernando Muslera was born in Buenos Aires but grew up 250 kilometres away in Montevideo. The shot-stopper drew attention from across the pond upon himself during his outings for his clubs Montevideo Wanderers and later Nacional, as well as the Uruguay youth teams. Assured by his talent, Lazio parted ways with three million euros in the summer of 2007 to bring Muslera to the continent, hoping to mould him into their next great guardian. Muslera’s adaptation to European football, however, turned out to be a slower process than Lazio had hoped for. After starting his first season in Italy as the undisputed number one for the Biancocelesti, Muslera quickly lost his footing and fell behind veteran Marco Ballotta in the pecking order, a decision taken by the club on the back of a 5-1 mauling by AC Milan, in which they Uruguayan committed several costly errors. He remained away from the limelight for an entire year before slowly working his way back into contention for a starting eleven spot. Fernando Muslera reverted to the form that had brought him to Europe in the first place in 2009; in the two seasons that followed, the goalkeeper made 79 appearances, more than twice as many as he did in his first two years at Lazio. In the interim, Muslera kept the goal for a fantastic Uruguay team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup and started every single game in their Copa America success the year after, bringing home Uruguay’s first major title since 1995.

While representing his country at the 2011 Copa America, Muslera signed for Galatasaray from Lazio in a complicated deal, one that involved Lazio terminating his contract, Lorik Cana moving in the opposite direction, and his former club Montevideo Wanderers receiving a considerable payout of over six million euros. On the books, though, the Uruguayan became Gala’s second-highest spend, behind only the 17.7 million the club had paid FC Porto for forward Mario Jardel in 2000. Muslera immediately took over between the sticks upon his arrival in Istanbul and, despite being 37 at the time of writing, is yet to relinquish his spot. Barring the 2020/21 season, he has never made fewer than 35 appearances across all competitions for his team in a campaign. In the time spent at the Ali Sami Yen Spor Kompleksi, Fernando Muslera has helped Gala consolidate their position as the most successful club in Turkey. During his tenure as the team’s custodian, Galatasaray have added six more league titles to their collection, four more domestic cups, and five additional super cups. For Uruguay, the shot-stopper collected 133 caps between 2003 and 2022, making him the fourth-highest capped player in the country at the senior level, behind Diego Godin, Luis Suarez, and Edinson Cavani.