The World Cup preparations of Morocco have been dealt a significant setback after the confirmed withdrawals of Abde Ezzalzouli and Nayef Aguerd from the squad due to injury, just days before their opening match against Brazil.
Both players were initially expected to play key roles in Morocco’s campaign in the 2026 tournament, but their fitness issues have now ruled them out of contention entirely.
Their places in the squad have been taken by Amine Sbaï and Marwane Saadane, who have already been registered on the official FIFA squad list and are available for selection.
Ezzalzouli’s absence is particularly damaging for the Atlas Lions.
The winger picked up a knee ligament sprain during Morocco’s 1-1 warm-up draw with Norway, where he was forced off during the match. The injury has since been assessed as serious enough to end his participation in the tournament.
Aguerd, meanwhile, has been sidelined by a groin injury. The Marseille defender did not feature against Norway and arrived at the tournament carrying the problem, which he has been unable to recover from in time.
The double blow comes at a crucial stage for Morocco, who are aiming to build on their impressive semi-final run in the previous World Cup.
Expectations were high around the squad heading into the competition, particularly with several key players in strong club form.
Ezzalzouli’s absence will be felt most sharply in attack.
The Real Betis forward had enjoyed an excellent 2025/26 season, contributing 18 goal involvements in 29 La Liga appearances. He was widely expected to be one of Morocco’s main attacking threats in North America.
Head coach Mohamed Ouahbi had initially remained cautious about the severity of the injuries, telling reporters he would “wait to see” how serious the situations were.
While there had been hope that some players could recover in time, the latest confirmation has ended any uncertainty.
The changes were formally reflected on FIFA’s official squad listings, confirming the replacements of both Ezzalzouli and Aguerd ahead of Morocco’s opening fixture.
Morocco begin their Group C campaign against Brazil at MetLife Stadium on Saturday, before going on to face Scotland and Haiti in their remaining group matches.
