Abde Ezzalzouli to miss majority of World Cup with knee ligament injury

Abde Ezzalzouli in action for MoroccoSipa USA / Sipa USA / Profimedia

Morocco winger Abde Ezzalzouli will miss most of the 2024 World Cup after suffering a knee ligament injury during the final warm-up match against Norway in Morocco on June 9. He is expected to be sidelined for three to four weeks, dashing his hopes of starring in the tournament.

Abde Ezzalzouli was forced off at half-time during Morocco’s final World Cup warm-up match against Norway on June 9, suffering a knee ligament injury. The winger, who plays for Real Betis, is expected to be sidelined for three to four weeks, which means he will miss the majority of the 2024 World Cup.

Morocco’s head coach Mohamed Ouahbi expressed concern about the injury during his post-match interview. Shortly before Ezzalzouli’s substitution, Manchester United full-back Noussair Mazraoui also left the game in the 29th minute due to a shoulder problem, adding to Morocco’s World Cup injury concerns.

Ezzalzouli, 24, had an outstanding season with Betis, scoring 15 goals and providing 13 assists across all competitions. He has earned 37 caps for Morocco and was expected to play a starring role in the tournament starting on June 13. Newcastle United had reportedly been scouting him as a potential option after selling Anthony Gordon to Barcelona for £70 million.

Morocco will begin their World Cup campaign against Brazil, aiming to replicate their impressive 2022 run when they became the first African nation to reach the semi-finals.