Canada midfielder Ismael Kone has undergone successful surgery to repair severe fractures in his lower left leg, sustained during Thursday’s match against Qatar.
The injury, which involved both the tibia and fibula bones, means the 24-year-old will miss the remainder of the Fifa World Cup 2026 campaign.
Canada Soccer confirmed the procedure on Friday, stating: “Last night, Ismael Kone underwent successful surgery to repair a lower limb fracture. He is expected to make a full recovery but will miss the remainder of FIFA World Cup 2026.”
The surgery took place in Vancouver, the same city where Canada secured a dominant 6-0 victory over Qatar.
Kone was injured in the 51st minute of the Group B encounter when Qatar midfielder Assim Madibo’s tackle brought him down.
Trainers immediately attended to Kone, who was in visible discomfort before being stretchered off the pitch. Despite the pain, he managed to give a thumbs-up to the fans while receiving oxygen.
Canada coach Jesse Marsch described the immediate aftermath, recalling he “could hear the bone snap.” Visiting Kone in hospital, Marsch noted the midfielder’s resilience.
“By the time we got to him, he’d already had some drugs to help sedate him a little bit,” Marsch said. “He was being prepared to go into the operation room. But he was in really good spirits and he was adamant that he’s going to be fine.”
Marsch added that the surgery, which took about 90 minutes, involved three top surgeons who had watched the incident on television and were ready upon Kone’s arrival.
A video review of the play led to Madibo receiving a red card, Qatar’s second of the game, leaving them with nine players. Madibo later apologised to Kone for the challenge.
Canada, currently on four points, are set to play Switzerland on Wednesday in a match that will determine the winner of Group B.
Switzerland are also on four points in Group B after thrashing Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1 on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Qatar and Bosnia only have one point from their opening two games, and need a win in their final match to give themselves hope of making the knockout stages.
