Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Kone is expected to recover after breaking his left leg, with multiple fractures, during the match against Qatar.
Updated on 19 Jun 2026
Canadian player Ismael Kone underwent surgery to repair a major fracture to his left leg sustained during Thursday’s match against Qatar.
“Last night, Ismael Kone underwent successful surgery to repair a lower leg injury,” Canada Soccer said Friday. “He is expected to recover but will miss the remainder of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”
Kone had surgery to repair his tibia and fibula bones in Vancouver, a venue Canada won 6-0.
Kone was injured in the 51st minute of the Group B match. Qatar midfielder Assim Madibo tried to shoot, but his right foot knocked Kone down. Trainers were called to the pitch as Kone looked unwell before being taken off for a moment.
Sitting on a stretcher, Kone gave a thumbs up to the fans as he took a breather.
After the game, Canada’s coach Jesse Marsch said he “felt a bone bruise.”
On Friday, Marsch explained what happened at the hospital.
“By the time we got to him, he had already taken some sedatives,” Marsch said at a news conference. “He was preparing to go into the operating room, but he was in very good spirits and was sure he would be fine.”
“(The surgery) took about an hour and a half and they had three surgeons. I think the doctors saw what happened on TV and they saw what happened and they knew immediately. And they brought three of their top doctors to the hospital immediately to take care of him.
So when he got there, the doctors had arrived and were ready. Then we just had to communicate with our medical team and make sure that the surgery was the best option we could think of.
Video commentary of the match led to Madibo being shown a red card, Qatar’s second of the game, leaving the team with nine players to finish the match. Madibo then apologized to Kone.
Canada faces Switzerland in Vancouver on Wednesday, with both teams tied on four points after their first two games. Their third match will determine the Group B winner.
Nathan Saliba, who replaced the injured Kone and scored Canada’s fourth goal, celebrated by running to the sidelines to hold up a replica of Kone’s Canadian jersey and point to his jersey number, eight.
