Mazraoui injured as Morocco draw Norway, World Cup opener looms

Two injuries in Norway draw, World Cup just days away

Morocco played out a 1–1 draw with Norway in their final warm-up friendly before the World Cup, but the bigger story is what it cost. Both Noussair Mazraoui and Abdessamad Ezzalzouli went off injured (4). Brahim Díaz got the goal for Morocco, while Martin Ødegaard – who scored and later made a pointed four-finger gesture toward Norway coach Ståle Solbakken – was at the center of things for the opposition (4) (6). Norway also had their own concern, with Erling Braut Haaland appearing to struggle physically during the match, something the Norway coach acknowledged afterward (5).

Mazraoui injury the biggest worry

Noussair Mazraoui was forced off injured during the Norway friendly – a major concern with Morocco's World Cup opener against Brazil just days away on June 11 (1) (2). The right-back is one of the most important pieces in the Morocco defensive setup. Ezzalzouli also picked up a knock, meaning two potential starters are now racing to be fit (4). No official word yet on the severity of either injury.

Group C locked in: Brazil first up

Morocco now know the full picture for Group C at the 2026 World Cup. Brazil headline the group, and the sides meet on June 11 in the opener. The full schedule and group composition were confirmed this weekend (1). It is a brutal start, but the path through the group is clear – and Morocco are not here just to make up the numbers.

Hamdane: quarter-finals the minimum

Said Hamdane has set the bar publicly. "Le Maroc vise au minimum les quarts," he said less than a week out from the tournament (3). After the semi-final run in 2022, the expectation is real – and the camp is not shying away from it. "At least the quarter-finals" is now the stated goal heading into the American World Cup.

Fan reactions

Plenty of debate online about whether Morocco deserve the hype heading into this tournament. One thread on the r/worldcup subreddit asks why everyone is so high on a squad where Achraf Hakimi is the only player starting regularly at a major European club. The responses are split – some pointing to the 2022 run as proof, others skeptical about squad depth. See the discussion here.