Canada midfielder Ismael Kone suffered a brutal injury during the 50th minute of Canada’s 2026 FIFA World Cup game against Qatar on Thursday, June 18:
🚨 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: ISMAEL KONE IS INJURED! IT DOESN’T LOOK ANY GOOD. pic.twitter.com/eMTeX3pIZC
— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) June 18, 2026
It is a leg injury for Kone, and players from both teams immediately called for attention as soon as he suffered it. His feet became tangled with Qatar’s Assim Madibo during the play, while Madibo tackled him. Madibo was red-carded for the play after it was upgraded from a yellow card.
Kone was playing in front of a hometown crowd in Vancouver during the match, and was able to wave goodbye as he was carted off:
Ismaël Koné waves to the crowd in Vancouver after being carted off with an apparent leg injury pic.twitter.com/Zq42zMZx7z
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 18, 2026
Midfielder Nathan Saliba replaced Kone, and Canada was visibly shaken by the injury.
Kone’s teammate Jonathan David was moved to tears as the team looked to rally for the rest of the game:
Jonathan David was visibly emotional after teammate Ismaël Koné exited the match due to an apparent injury pic.twitter.com/yOWLmP3INQ
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 18, 2026
Canada was winning, 3-0, but the score was not the only thing on even Qatar players’ minds.
Even Madibo was having a tough time grappling with the injury:
Qatar’s Madibo is comforted by teammates after Canada’s Ismaël Koné’s apparent injury pic.twitter.com/5X9La7NHAu
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 18, 2026
Saliba paid his respects to his banged up teammate after scoring Canada’s fourth goal of the game. He held up a No. 8, and then held up a Kone jersey as well:
Nathan Saliba holds up a No. 8 after scoring in support of teammate Ismaël Koné, who exited the match after an injury. pic.twitter.com/Qw8RlL2FNS
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 18, 2026
After scoring for Canada, Nathan Saliba held up Ismaël Koné’s jersey
Koné was carted off earlier in the game due to an apparent injury pic.twitter.com/AabzBTvnA7
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 18, 2026
Canada ended up winning the game, 6-0. David put together a hat trick as Canada secured its first-ever FIFA World Cup win.
Canada and Qatar did not get along with each other after the game, though, potentially due to the situation regarding Kone. Not only did the players get into it after the game, but even Qatar head coach Julen Lopetegui and Canada head coach Jesse Marsch were not getting along:
Tensions ran high after the match between Canada and Qatar pic.twitter.com/z94FKWqhYy
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 19, 2026
This interaction postgame between Qatar head coach Julen Lopetegui and Canada head coach Jesse Marsch pic.twitter.com/SHJUPPA74m
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 19, 2026
While tension was in the air between the two teams, Marsch did share after the game that Madibo did apologize to Kone.
Marsch said that he could hear Kone’s bone snap when the injury occurred, and that the 24-year-old was hospitalized and will be having surgery.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Canada’s Ismael Kone carted off after horrific injury during World Cup
