Abde out of World Cup with knee ligament injury; Amine Sbai replaces him in Morocco squad
Moroccan winger Ez Abde has been ruled out of the 2026 World Cup with a moderate knee ligament sprain sustained in a friendly against Norway, with Angers’ Amine Sbai called up as his replacement.
Injury in Norway
Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, known as Ez Abde, suffered the injury on 7 June during a friendly against Norway after a collision with teammate Chadi Riad on a corner. Medical tests confirmed a moderate-grade sprain of the internal lateral ligament of his right knee. Initially kept in the squad to assess recovery, further examinations estimated the absence at four to six weeks, forcing the coaching staff to make a definitive change before the World Cup opener.
- Abde collides with teammate Chadi Riad during friendly vs Norway, sustains right knee injury.
- Medical tests confirm moderate-grade sprain of the internal lateral ligament; Morocco keep him in provisional squad.
- Further examinations estimate 4–6 weeks recovery, making World Cup participation nearly impossible.
- Morocco remove Abde from the official 26-man list; Amine Sbai registered as replacement with FIFA.
- Morocco open World Cup campaign against Brazil at MetLife Stadium.
Squad changes
Morocco’s official list of 26 players registered with FIFA now includes Amine Sbai from French club Angers in place of Abde. The Royal Moroccan Football Federation has not yet commented officially on the substitution. Another defensive absence concerns Nayef Aguerd, who was replaced by Marwane Saadane due to lingering fitness issues after a prolonged injury lay-off.
Abde’s reaction
The Betis winger posted a personal message on social media:
He thanked supporters for their messages and said faith, patience, and gratitude take on greater value in difficult moments. Abde also expressed confidence that the national team will represent the country with pride and vowed to return “better and stronger” from the injury.Missing such an important tournament is a heavy blow, and I won’t deny that it hurts.
Club form and market context
The injury halts a career-best season for the 23-year-old. During the 2025–26 campaign, he contributed 15 goals and 13 assists across all competitions under Manuel Pellegrini, becoming a linchpin of Real Betis’ attack. Before the injury, Newcastle United had led Premier League interest in acquiring him, while Barcelona, retaining a sell-on clause, considered a return before eventually moving for Anthony Gordon.
Morocco’s opening challenge
Morocco arrive at the first 48-team World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, as one of football’s emerging forces after becoming the first African semifinalist at Qatar 2022. They debut on Saturday 13 June against Brazil at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New York, in Group C alongside Haiti and Scotland. Without Abde, coach Mohamed Ouahbi loses a creative outlet as the Atlas Lions aim to build on their historic breakthrough.
