Morocco Suffer Major Blow As Star Midfielder Ismael Saibari Is Ruled Out Of World Cup Quarter-Final Against France

Morocco has suffered a significant setback ahead of their 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-final against France after influential midfielder Ismaël Saibari was ruled out with a hamstring injury. Head coach Mohamed Ouahbi confirmed that the 25-year-old will miss the highly anticipated clash, although there remains hope he could return later in the tournament should Morocco progress.

Saibari sustained the injury during Morocco’s Round of 16 victory over Canada, pulling up with discomfort just 22 minutes into the match before being substituted. Medical assessments later confirmed a hamstring problem, forcing him to miss training in the build-up to the quarter-final against France. While initial scans suggested the injury was not season-ending, the Moroccan coaching staff decided not to risk one of their most important players in such a crucial fixture.

His absence is particularly painful because Saibari has emerged as one of Morocco’s standout performers during the tournament. Before his injury, he had scored in each of Morocco’s three group-stage matches and calmly converted the decisive penalty in the shootout victory over the Netherlands, playing a central role in the Atlas Lions’ run to the last eight. His creativity, technical ability and eye for goal have made him one of the breakout stars of the 2026 World Cup.

Saibari’s rise has been years in the making. Born in Terrassa, Spain, to Moroccan parents and raised in Belgium, he developed through several youth academies before joining PSV Eindhoven, where he established himself as one of the Eredivisie’s most exciting attacking midfielders. His versatility allows him to play as a central midfielder, winger or attacking midfielder, while his dribbling, vision and ability to score from midfield have attracted widespread praise across Europe.

His impressive performances at club level recently earned him a high-profile move to Bayern Munich, underlining his growing reputation as one of Morocco’s brightest talents. The World Cup has only strengthened that reputation, with Saibari becoming one of the driving forces behind Morocco’s latest deep run in the competition.

Despite losing one of their key players, Morocco remain confident ahead of their showdown with France. Coach Mohamed Ouahbi insisted his side will not drastically change its approach and believes the Atlas Lions possess enough quality to compete with the former world champions.