2026 World Cup: Canada's Ismaël Koné stretchered off with potential leg injury vs. Qatar

Canadian midfielder Ismaël Koné was stretchered off during Canada's World Cup win over Qatar after suffering a potentially gruesome leg injury. Koné was tackled by Qatar midfielder Assim Madibo about 10 minutes into the second half of Thursday's game. Koné looked in pain immediately afterward, grabbing at his left leg, and trainers quickly came to tend to him. It took little time for Canada's medical staff to bring out the stretcher, while the Canadian reserves surrounded him as he was receiving treatment. Koné waved at the crowd as he was taken off, with his left leg in an air cast. Multiple players were emotional as he was taken off the field. World Cup schedule | Group schedule, results | Standings Madibo, who was visibly distressed as Koné was being treated, was initially assessed a yellow card for the contact, but it was upgraded to a red card after review. The broadcast did not show replay of the tackle, indicating the potential severity of the injury. In a mark of sportsmanship, Canadian forward Tajon Buchanan joined Madibo's teammates in comforting him. Qatar was already down a player, thanks to a red card from Homam Ahmed in the 33rd minute. The additional red forced the team to finish the game with only nine players. Koné was replaced by Nathan Saliba, who scored five minutes later, and immediately lifted up Koné's jersey in celebration. Canada went on to smack Qatar 6-0 for its first-ever World Cup win. But Koné's injury still appeared to be a sticking point, with the two teams scuffling a bit after the final whistle. Canadian coach Jesse Marsch and Qatari coach Julien Lopetegui were also not being too friendly during their postgame handshake, per The Athletic's Tom Bogert . This story will be updated.