Canada World Cup star suffers horror injury that 'everyone could hear' in historic match
A wild night of celebration in Vancouver took an unexpected turn on Thursday, June 18, as Canada's record-breaking 6-0 win over Qatar was marred by a sickening injury that silenced BC Place in seconds.
Midfielder Ismaël Koné was left in agony midway through the second half after a challenge from Qatar's Assim Madibo, with the impact audible to those closest to the pitch. Head coach Jesse Marsch later admitted the sound had stuck with him long after the final whistle.
"It happened right in front of us," he said. "Everyone could hear the bone snap."
The win marked a historic milestone for Canadian football, but for those inside the stadium, the moment quickly soured.
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"Everyone could hear the bone snap."
In the 50th minute, Qatar's Assim Madibo went into a tackle on Canada's Ismaël Koné, leaving the midfielder writhing on the turf with his leg visibly out of place.
Officials and medical staff rushed to surround Koné as chaos unfolded around him. Players and coaching staff from both sides were seen arguing, crying and consoling one another as they hovered nervously near the stricken 22-year-old.
What had initially been deemed a yellow card offence for Madibo was upgraded to a red following a lengthy VAR review, reducing Qatar to nine men. Koné was eventually helped off the pitch roughly six minutes later, replaced by Nathan Saliba.
What happened next turned heartbreak into something Canadian fans won't forget in a hurry.
What was Nathan Saliba's celebration all about?
In the 64th minute, Saliba - a 22-year-old Anderlecht midfielder - curled a stunning right-footed free kick off the post and in. Instead of a typical celebration, he made an "8" gesture with his hands before sprinting to the bench to hold up Koné's shirt.
"[Koné] means everything to this team," said striker Jonathan David, who scored Canada's first-ever World Cup hat-trick in the rout.
"If you ask the same question to any guy on the team, they will tell you the same. He's someone that we love a lot."
Despite the scale of the victory, Canada's celebrations grew noticeably muted as the game wore on, with Koné's injury clearly still weighing on the squad.
"It's unfortunate, obviously. Ismaël is so important to us," captain Stephen Eustaquio said. "We just have to continue. He's going to want us to win the next match, and that's what we're going to try to do for him."
Who do Canada play next in the World Cup?
Canada return to action on Wednesday, June 24, against Switzerland in Vancouver, with a draw or win enough to send them top of their group heading into the knockout rounds.
For now, though, thoughts remain with their injured teammate.
"We have a family barbecue tomorrow. We're going to enjoy that. We're going to enjoy being together," Marsch said. "I'm sure Ismaël will be on everybody's minds."
Thomas Bamford