19 Jun 2026 07:58 BST |
4 min read
Canada secured a famous 6-0 win over Qatar in their second fixture of the 2026 World Cup, but the result was marred by a horror injury suffered by midfielder Ismael Kone.
The 24-year-old broke his leg following a tackle from Assim Madibo in the 53rd minute and he is expected to miss at least four months of action, having been stretched off the pitch in front of a devastated Jesse Marsch.
Speaking to journalists after the game, Marsch admitted: “[You] could hear the bone snap. Your heart goes out to him. Everybody’s shaken for him.
“Ismael is such a great kid. He’s so imperfect but that’s why you love him. He can do great things and the next moment he loses concentration. He embodies a lot of what the team is. It’s a huge loss for us.
“He’ll be fine, we’ll get him good doctors. He’s got a big future and he’s a big part of everything we’ll do.”
Meanwhile, microphones close to the touchline appeared to pick up distressed voices shouting, “his leg is hanging off,” as per The Telegraph.
When asked about the incident, Qatar boss Julen Lopetegui said: “I want to wish all the best to Kone, that he can recover as quickly as possible. This is the main thing, that’s why I wish all the best for him. It was an accident, what happened. I am sure that Assim did not want to make this injury.”
Madibo was initially shown a yellow card for the challenge, but it was upgraded to a direct red card after a VAR review, and he became the second Qatar player to be sent off during the game following Homam Ahmed’s dismissal in the 33rd minute.
Canada eventually ran out 6-0 winners, thanks to a hat-trick from Jonathan David, strikes from Cyle Larin and Nathan Saliba and an own goal from Mohammed Manai, and they are now virtually guaranteed to have qualified for the round of 32, having picked up four points from their opening two group stage matches.
Such a devastating injury for Koné
We hope to see him back on the pitch soon 👏 pic.twitter.com/CnmePCLp4C
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 18, 2026
What have Canada’s players said about Ismael Kone injury?
“I saw his leg,” Stephen Eustaquio told reporters after the match. “I saw that something wasn’t right, and I just wanted for the medical staff to get in as quick as possible.
“They tried to defend their players, and we tried to defend ours. I think it’s normal, they still want to go far in this competition, but at the same time it’s a clear red. Like, there’s no debate in that he basically broke his leg. They want[ed] a yellow, but for me it makes no sense.”
Celtic defender Alistair Johnston added: “He’s a kid that’s so easy-going, and just loves the sport so much. We talked about it before, but he could stay up all night just playing two-touches with the guys, and that’s why I think it hurt so much. It’s just his love of the game. To see someone like that go down in such a needless challenge as well? It’s frustrating.”
Meanwhile, hat-trick hero David said: “If there’s a play where you cannot win the ball, there’s no point. It’s just to hurt people.”
