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Rabat – Moroccan football player Nayef Aguerd has joined Abdessamad Ezzalzouli in expressing his frustration after his exit from the FIFA World Cup 2026 squad.
Aguerd started his social media post with a thankful message to all people who showed support upon hearing he won’t be available to take part in this year’s World Cup alongside his teammates.
He, however, explained that his exit is not due to his injury but rather his insufficient readiness to take part in the tournament.
“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. 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,” Aguerd wrote.
On Thursday, FIFA confirmed the Atlas Lion will not be part of the Moroccan squad and will be replaced to ensure the 26-man squad is ready for the national team.
Morocco will kick off its World Cup campaign on Saturday at 11 p.m. Moroccan time against Brazil — a five-time World Cup title holder, determined to make up for the failures it endured in the past years.
Morocco will go to the group stage without Aguerd as well as Ezzalzouli, who sustained an injury during a friendly game against Norway on Sunday.
Aguerd said that despite all the efforts made over the past few weeks, “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.”
The Atlas Lion concluded his message by thanking the entire medical staff for their efforts, stating that he tried his best and everything to return in time.
“Unfortunately, that was not possible within the necessary timeframe,” he said, wishing his teammates every success in their World Cup journey.
“I am a player for the national team, but above all, I am also a supporter. And I will be behind them, just as you will. Thank you once again for your support,” he said.
