The alarms went off in the Canadian team and in Italian soccer. Sassuolo midfielder Ismaël Koné suffered a serious injury in the second half of the match between Canada and Qatar, played at the BC Place in Vancouver, and had to leave the field on a stretcher, which jeopardizes his continuity in the 2026 World Cup.
The match, corresponding to the second day of Group B of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, began with Canada going on the attack against Qatar, in a closed group in which all teams had started with a point.
Canada imposed conditions early. At minute 15, Cyle Larin opened the scoring with a goal to make it 1-0. Local dominance increased when Jonathan David, in the 28th minute, extended the lead to a partial 2-0.
Qatar got complicated before the break. In the 32nd minute, defender Homam Ahmed received a direct red card after a VAR review determined a foul as a last resort. In added time of the first half, at minute 45+2, Jonathan David scored his double and made it 3-0.
Koné’s injury
The match changed in the 51st minute due to a strong tackle by Assim Madibo on Ismaël Koné. The seriousness of the blow was immediately perceived by the Canadian soccer player’s gestures of pain.
The Canadian teams reacted with concern and formed a circle around Koné to prevent the cameras from capturing images of the injury. Preliminary reports from the field pointed to an apparent leg fracture.
After the intervention of the video referee, Madibo received a direct red card in the 53rd minute. Three minutes later, Koné was taken on a stretcher to the locker room and transferred to a hospital. In the middle of the moment of tension, the 24-year-old midfielder sat on the stretcher for a few moments and greeted the fans, which caused applause from the stadium. Nathan Saliba came on in his place.
Dedication in the win
Despite concern for Koné, play continued with Qatar reduced to nine players. At minute 63, newcomer Nathan Saliba scored 4-0 after capitalizing on an offensive play.
The scorer of the fourth goal and the rest of the Canadian team dedicated the celebration to Koné, who at that time was already undergoing medical evaluation to determine the extent of the injury. At minute 74 Jacob Shaffelburg scored 5 to 0.