Canadian midfielder Ismael Kone underwent surgery to repair serious fractures in his lower left leg, which he suffered in Thursday’s match against Qatar.
“Last night, Ismael Kone underwent successful surgery to repair a lower extremity fracture,” Canada Soccer said in a statement Friday. “He is expected to make a full recovery but will miss the remainder of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”
Kone underwent surgery to repair the tibia and fibula bones in Vancouver, the site of Canada’s 6-0 win.
Kone was injured in the 51st minute of the Group B match. Qatar midfielder Assim Madibo tried to make a tackle, but his right foot brought Kone to the ground. Trainers were immediately called onto the field as Kone was in visible discomfort before being taken off the field moments later.
Sitting on the stretcher, Kone gave a thumbs up to the fans as he took oxygen.
After the game, Canadian coach Jesse Marsch said he could «hear the bone break.»
On Friday, Marsch described the scene at the hospital.
“By the time we got to him, he had already been given medication to calm him down a bit,” Marsch said at a news conference. «He was being prepared to go into the operating room. But he was in a very good mood and he was confident that he would be fine.»
«(The operation) took about an hour and a half and they had three surgeons. I think what happened is the surgeons watched it on TV and saw what happened and they knew right away. And so they immediately brought their top three surgeons to the hospital to take care of him.
«So by the time he got there, the surgeons were there and they were ready. And then we just had to communicate with our medical team and make sure that the surgery was the best option that we thought. But meeting them and hearing what they had to say about the situation, I could tell that he was in very good hands. So the surgery that they said went very well.»
A video review of the game resulted in Madibo receiving a red card, Qatar’s second of the match, leaving the team with nine players to see out the match. Madibo later apologized to Kone.
Canada will play Switzerland in Vancouver on Wednesday in a match that will determine the winner of Group B.
Published on June 20, 2026
