'Heard Bone Snap!' Canada's Ismael Kone Suffers Horror Injury vs Qatar, Saliba Pays Tribute | WATCH
'Heard Bone Snap!' Canada's Ismael Kone Suffers Horror Injury vs Qatar, Saliba Pays Tribute | WATCH Published By, Last Updated: June 19, 2026, 10:28 IST
'Heard Bone Snap!' Canada's Ismael Kone Suffers Horror Injury vs Qatar, Saliba Pays Tribute | WATCH Published By, Last Updated: June 19, 2026, 10:28 IST Canada coach Jesse Marsch revealed players heard Ismael Kone’s leg snap during a horror challenge against Qatar, with the midfielder now facing surgery. Rapid Read (Credit: AP) Canada’s emphatic 6-0 demolition of Qatar at the FIFA World Cup should have been remembered as a historic night. Instead, it ended with players and fans fearing the worst for midfielder Ismael Kone. The 24-year-old Sassuolo star was rushed to the hospital after suffering a suspected broken leg following a brutal challenge from Qatar midfielder Assim Madibo during Thursday’s Group B clash in Vancouver. #WATCH: In the 52nd minute, Canadian midfielder Ismaël Koné was stretchered off the field with an injury to his left leg. Assim Madibo was assessed a red card on the play, leaving Qatar with nine men.LIVE UPDATES: pic.twitter.com/vaGYBCLrtm — CTV News (@CTVNews) June 19, 2026 Madibo initially escaped with a yellow card, but a VAR review upgraded the punishment to a straight red after the severity of the tackle became clear.
According to Canada coach Jesse Marsch, there was little doubt on the bench about how serious the injury was. “It was right in front of us, and everyone could hear the bone snap," Marsch told reporters after the match. “I haven’t spoken to Ismael yet, but he’s at the hospital. He will prepare for a surgery. I’m going to go see him after this press conference. We’ll see exactly what we decide to do for him." ‘A Big Part Of The Heart Of Our Team’ The injury cast a shadow over what was otherwise a landmark performance from Canada, who secured their first-ever World Cup victory thanks to a Jonathan David hat-trick, a goal from Cyle Larin, Nathan Saliba’s strike and a Qatar own goal. Marsch admitted the squad was deeply affected by the incident. “Everybody’s a little shaken by the whole experience because of the nature of the injury, and also because Ismael is a big part of the heart of our team," he said. “It will be a big loss for us." Saliba, who replaced Kone shortly after the injury, paid tribute in the best possible way.
The midfielder scored Canada’s fourth goal just seven minutes after coming on and celebrated by holding up Kone’s jersey to the crowd. Just minutes after coming on for the injured Ismaël Kone, Nathan Saliba scored a sensational free kick and threw up the No. 8 and jersey for his brother ❤️🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/liIKaw5KZy— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 18, 2026 He later provided the assist for David’s third goal in stoppage time. Marsch Questions Qatar Bench Reaction Despite the emotional scenes, Marsch praised Madibo for personally apologising to Kone after the match. “The player apologised to Ismael. He came into the dressing room and apologised to him," Marsch said. “So I don’t think that he meant such a gruesome situation." However, the Canada boss was far less impressed with the reaction from Qatar’s coaching staff, who protested the red card decision. “I don’t understand a reaction from their entire bench to try to start a fight about it being a red card when a clear foul just happened that broke a player’s leg," Marsch said.
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