Morocco Cut Aguerd, Ezzalzouli Before Brazil Opener
Morocco have withdrawn Nayef Aguerd and Abde Ezzalzouli from their World Cup squad, with FIFA confirming replacements less than 48 hours before the Atlas Lions open Group C against Brazil on Saturday at MetLife Stadium, according to ESPN. Aguerd, the Marseille centre-back who anchored Morocco's run to the 2022 semifinals, has not played since March after groin surgery and a subsequent pubic bone fracture discovered during his recovery. Ezzalzouli, the Real Betis winger who helped his club qualify for the Champions League, was injured in a collision with teammate Chadi Riad during Sunday's 1-1 friendly draw with Norway. Morocco waited through a 48-hour fitness window before cutting both players and calling up Marwane Saadane of Al Fateh and Angers winger Amine Sbaï. Brazil enter the fixture as one of the outright market favourites at 8.7% to win the tournament.
The timing cuts deep for a Morocco side that arrived in the United States hoping to build on its historic Qatar run. Head coach Mohamed Ouahbi had flagged Aguerd's fitness as uncertain for weeks, but Ezzalzouli's exit is the sharper shock — he was among the players tipped to break out at this expanded 48-team tournament. Morocco still carry other knocks, including a shoulder issue for Noussair Mazraoui after the Norway friendly, though reports suggest he remains available for selection. On Brazil's side, reports suggest Neymar remains doubtful for the same opener after a grade-two calf tear, meaning Saturday's Group C curtain-raiser could feature two squads still sorting out their best available elevens in East Rutherford.
What it means for the odds
Morocco's outright winner price sits at 1.6% on Polymarket — a long-shot tag that already reflected the difficulty of repeating a semifinal run in a deeper bracket. Losing Aguerd removes experience at the heart of defence; losing Ezzalzouli removes one of the few attackers capable of stretching Brazil's back line on the counter. That combination nudges the balance toward Carlo Ancelotti's side before a ball is kicked, even with uncertainty around Neymar's match fitness. Brazil at 8.7% prices them behind only Spain and France as tournament favourites, and a softened Morocco defence strengthens the case for a statement opening win that could reassure backers worried about Seleção inconsistency in recent friendlies. Group C also features Scotland and Haiti; a comfortable result on Saturday would ease pressure before trickier fixtures in Foxborough and Miami. Prediction markets tend to reprice quickly on squad news this late in the window, and traders may push Brazil's number higher if they view Morocco's reshuffle as materially weakening the favourites' biggest group-stage obstacle. Odds reflect market prices at time of writing and can shift as new information emerges.
Odds via Polymarket and move constantly — figures reflect the time of writing (June 11, 2026). Not financial advice. Prediction-market trading is restricted in some regions; see our responsible-use page.