Morocco Replaces Injured Players Ez Abde and Aguerd for 2026 World Cup

Morocco has made changes to its squad for the 2026 World Cup, replacing midfielders Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, known as Ez Abde, and defender Nayef Aguerd with Amine Sbai and Marwane Saadane. The official roster update was submitted to FIFA for the tournament, which kicks off this Thursday. The Royal Moroccan Football Federation has not yet issued an official statement regarding these alterations or confirmed if the changes are permanent.

The decision to exclude Ez Abde stems from a knee injury he sustained during a friendly match against Norway. Local Moroccan media reports indicate that medical tests confirmed a ligament sprain requiring several weeks of recovery. Aguerd's exclusion, according to the newspaper Le360, is due to his inability to regain peak physical form after a prolonged period sidelined by fitness issues, making him unsuitable for the demands of the World Cup.

Morocco enters the 2026 World Cup, hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, with high expectations. The team is considered one of international football's emerging forces following their historic performance in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, where they became the first African nation to reach the semifinals. Their opening match is scheduled against Brazil on Saturday, June 13, at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Haiti and Scotland are the other teams in Group C.