Ismael Kone has returned to the Canada camp in Vancouver to a rapturous welcome – heartfelt footage shared by the national team shows the midfielder arriving in a minivan to loud cheers from his team‑mates, who gathered around applauding as the doors opened. The Sassuolo star had undergone successful surgery on his left leg just days earlier, after fracturing his tibia and fibula in a horrific challenge during Canada’s 6‑0 victory over Qatar on Thursday.
Qatar’s Assim Madibo initially received only a yellow card from referee Cristian Garay, but a VAR review upgraded the decision to a red card. Kone was stretchered off the pitch in visible pain as Madibo put his head in his hands. Tensions boiled over on the pitch and on the sidelines while Kone received treatment. Canada coach Jesse Marsch later confirmed the player was at the hospital with his mother, preparing for surgery. On Friday, a Canada Soccer statement said: “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 the FIFA World Cup 2026.”
“Canada's Ismael Kone returns to camp after surgery for a broken leg while Brazil's Raphinha fears World Cup exit.”
Marsch told a news conference: “By the time we got to him, he’d already had some drugs to help sedate him a little bit. He was being prepared to go into the operating room. But he was in really good spirits, and he was adamant that he’s going to be fine. [The surgery] took about an hour and a half, and they had three surgeons. I think what happened is the surgeons watched it on TV, and they saw what happened, and they knew right away. And so they brought their top three surgeons to the hospital immediately to take care of him.” The Canada boss added: “Ismael is such a great kid. He’s so imperfect but that’s why you love him. He can do great things and the next moment he loses concentration. He embodies a lot of what the team is. It’s a huge loss for us. He’ll be fine, we’ll get him good doctors. He’s got a big future and he’s a big part of everything we’ll do.”
Elsewhere, Brazil are sweating over the fitness of forward Raphinha, who was forced off during their 3‑0 win over Haiti. The winger now fears a World Cup lay‑off, casting a shadow over the tournament for the five‑time champions.