Abde Ezzalzouli was coming off a stellar individual season, which was a massive reason he earned a call-up to play for Morocco. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury during an international friendly, ruling him out of the 2026 World Cup.
The injury occurred while Morocco was tuning up in a friendly against Norway. A collision with teammate Chadi Riad in the 45th minute sparked immediate fears of a serious injury, which were later confirmed.
It’s a brutal blow for the national team right before the tournament, but it’s the kind of adversity multiple teams face ahead of a major event. Fortunately, Morocco had players ready to step in quickly.
Who replaced Ezzalzouli in the World Cup?
Manager Mohamed Ouahbi had to make a tough call and ended up summoning Amine Sbai. Sbai spent last season playing for Angers in France, scoring three goals in 25 appearances. While he might not offer the same goal-scoring output as Ezzalzouli, he brings enough experience to fill the gap.
🤕 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼 en Marruecos.
— Movistar Plus Deportes (@MPlusDeportes) June 7, 2026
Abde se marchó lesionado al descanso tras recibir un golpe de su propio compañero, Chadi Riad.#LaCasaDelFútbol pic.twitter.com/C940hIu6MK
The issue with Sbai heading into the 2026 World Cup is his complete lack of experience on a stage this massive. That said, he will provide depth off the bench if the manager needs an extra option in a tight spot.
What does Morocco lose without Ezzalzouli?
Abde is fundamentally a vertical player who hunts space behind the defensive line. When paired on the left side, his speed naturally opens up interior pockets for creative midfielders like Bilal El Khannouss or Brahim Díaz to operate in.
He is a goal-scorer who could have given Morocco a special edge during the World Cup. The 10 goals he scored last season for Real Betis proved he was entering the tournament in peak form, especially after logging a career-high 2,247 minutes.
