Canada midfielder Ismael Kone has undergone surgery to repair a severe fracture to his left lower leg, suffered in Thursday's match against Qatar.
Canada Soccer announced Friday: "Last night, Ismael Kone underwent successful surgery to repair a lower leg fracture. He is expected to make a full recovery but will miss the remainder of the FIFA World Cup 2026."
The surgery took place in Vancouver, where Canada beat Qatar 6-0. Kone had surgery to repair both his tibia and fibula.
The injury occurred in the 51st minute of the Group B match. Qatar midfielder Assim Madibo came in for a tackle, his right leg causing Kone to collapse to the ground. Medical staff immediately entered the field as Kone was in pain, and he was stretchered off several minutes later. While on the stretcher, Kone gave a thumbs-up to fans while receiving oxygen.
After the match, Canada head coach Jesse Marsch said he "could hear the bone break." At Friday's press conference, Marsch described the scene at the hospital: "When we arrived, he had been sedated. He was being prepped for surgery. But his spirits were very good and he insisted he would be fine."
Marsch added: "The surgery lasted about an hour and a half with three surgeons. I think the doctors saw the incident on TV and knew the situation immediately, so they brought the three best surgeons to the hospital right away. The surgery went very well."
Following the incident, tournament officials reviewed video and sent off Madibo (Qatar's second red card of the match), leaving the opponent with nine men in the final minutes. Madibo later apologized to Kone.
Kone's replacement, Nathan Saliba, who scored Canada's fourth goal, ran to the sideline and held up Kone's No. 8 shirt as a tribute to his teammate.
Canada will face Switzerland in Vancouver next Wednesday, with both teams on four points after two matches. The third match will decide the top spot in Group B.
