Morocco drops Ezzalzouli and Aguerd from World Cup squad through injury

Morocco has removed two players from its squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup due to injury. FIFA announced that Real Betis winger Abde Ezzalzouli, formerly of Barcelona, and Marseille defender Nayef Aguerd will not feature in the tournament. Ezzalzouli suffered a right-knee injury during a friendly against Norway and had been expected to miss the group stage, with coach Mohamed Ouahbi indicating he could return for the knockout rounds. Aguerd had been struggling with injury for several weeks and was unable to recover in time for the finals. The Moroccan Football Federation added Angers defender Amine Sbaïi and Al-Fath defender Marouane Saadane, currently playing in Saudi Arabia, as replacements. Morocco will open its World Cup campaign against Brazil at MetLife Stadium in New York. The group's other opponents are Scotland and Haiti.