Morocco defender Nayef Aguerd has confirmed his withdrawal from the 2026 FIFA World Cup squad ahead of the team’s opening match against Brazil at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Saturday, June 13.

Aguerd, who made his debut for the Atlas Lions in a 0-0 friendly against Albania in 2016, will miss the tournament after being replaced in the squad by Marwane Saadane.

The Marseille centre-back had already been considered doubtful heading into the tournament co-hosted by the USA, Mexico, and Canada. His absence was later confirmed by FIFA after updates were made to the official squad list.

Aguerd explains the decision
“This is not a setback or a recurrence of my injury. On the contrary, I have been feeling better and better every day, and my injury is now behind me,” Aguerd said on social media after confirming his withdrawal.

“However, together with the coaching staff, we felt that my current level of performance was not yet sufficient for me to help the team as much as I would have liked during the group stage.”

Morocco will also be without Abde Ezzalzouli, who picked up an injury during a friendly against Norway on Sunday.

Aguerd had been training with the squad but has struggled with injury issues for some time, while Ezzalzouli was forced off during the friendly against Norway and has since been diagnosed with a knee-ligament sprain.

“It became clear that I would not be physically ready at 100% for the start of the competition. This decision was made in agreement with the coaching staff, in the best interest of both the team and the competition,” Aguerd added.

At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Aguerd featured in all three group-stage matches as well as the Round of 16 win over Spain, forming a strong defensive partnership with Romain Saïss. Morocco conceded just once during those four games, via an own goal scored by Aguerd.

However, he missed the quarter-final victory over Portugal due to injury and was also unavailable for the semi-final against France because of illness, having been withdrawn shortly before kick-off despite initially being named in the starting lineup.

Aguerd concluded: “Unfortunately, that was not possible within the necessary timeframe. I am a player for the national team, but above all, I am also a supporter. I will be behind them, just as you will.”

In 2023, Aguerd was part of Walid Regragui’s 27-man squad for Morocco’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign.

“Thank you once again for your support,” he added.

According to Morocco News, Marwane Saadane, who plays for Al-Fateh in Saudi Arabia, has been called up as Aguerd’s replacement. The 34-year-old defender adds experience and depth to a Morocco squad that must now adapt quickly ahead of a tough opening fixture.

Mazraoui declared fit

Meanwhile, Manchester United have confirmed that Noussair Mazraoui is available for Morocco’s World Cup opener against Brazil.

A club statement said Mazraoui has recovered from injury concerns after landing awkwardly on his shoulder during the friendly against Norway, which initially raised doubts over his participation.

“He has returned to training after working in the gym as a precaution. Nous has been carefully assessed by his nation’s medical team and will be hoping he can be available for a key fixture in Group C on Saturday,” the statement read.

Morocco have a strong World Cup history, having qualified seven times (1970, 1986, 1994, 1998, 2018, 2022, and 2026).

Their best-ever performance came in 2022 in Qatar, where they became the first African and Arab nation to reach the semi-finals, topping their group and defeating Spain and Portugal en route to a fourth-place finish.

Alongside Brazil, Morocco will also face Scotland and Haiti in the group stage.