Morocco’s national team left Rabat on Wednesday for the United States to begin its final preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with defender Zakaria El Ouahdi absent from the travelling delegation because of a reported US visa issue.
The Atlas Lions departed from Rabat Salé Airport on a direct flight to their World Cup base, where coach Mohamed Ouahbi’s squad is expected to begin field preparations immediately ahead of the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Hsport, citing informed sources, reported that El Ouahdi did not travel with the squad because of an issue linked to obtaining a US entry visa. The outlet said the Royal Moroccan Football Federation was working to resolve the case before Morocco’s opening match.
The same report said Ali Maamar travelled with the Moroccan delegation despite not appearing on the final squad list or the reserve list announced by Ouahbi. Hsport said the technical staff took Maamar as a precaution in case El Ouahdi’s case is not resolved in time, pending any legal procedure that would comply with FIFA rules if a squad change becomes necessary.
Hsport said it contacted FRMF communications officials for clarification on El Ouahdi’s situation and Maamar’s presence in the delegation, but received no comment.
Maamar played in Morocco’s friendly against Madagascar on Tuesday, while El Ouahdi watched from the stands, according to the same report.
Morocco are due to play Norway in a friendly on Sunday as part of their final preparation programme before beginning their Group C campaign against Brazil on June 13 in New Jersey. They will then face Scotland on June 19 in Foxborough and Haiti on June 24 in Atlanta.
The tournament marks Morocco’s seventh World Cup appearance and its third consecutive qualification, the first such run in the national team’s history.
Morocco qualified after topping their African qualifying group with a perfect record, becoming the first African nation to secure a place at the expanded 48 team tournament.
The team enters the competition under Ouahbi, who took charge in March 2026 after leading Morocco’s youth setup, including the country’s 2025 youth world title.
Morocco’s 2026 campaign comes four years after the Atlas Lions became the first African and Arab team to reach a World Cup semifinal, beating Spain and Portugal in Qatar before losing to France.
That run raised expectations around a squad that now faces one of the tournament’s strongest groups, led by Brazil, with Scotland returning to the World Cup for the first time since 1998 and Haiti making its first appearance since 1974.
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