Canada 6-0 Qatar: host's first World Cup win overshadowed by Koné's suspected broken leg
Co-hosts Canada earned their first ever World Cup victory with a dominant 6-0 win over Qatar in Vancouver, but the match was overshadowed by a sickening injury to midfielder Ismaël Koné.
A historic first for the co-hosts
Canada, co-hosting the 2026 World Cup, had never won a match at the tournament in their two prior appearances (1986 and 2022, both with three losses). On Thursday in Vancouver, that drought ended emphatically. The team, coached by Jesse Marsch, beat Qatar 6-0 in front of 52,497 fans, including Prime Minister Mark Carney and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
The match: goals and red cards
Cyle Larin opened the scoring in the 16th minute. Jonathan David added a first-half brace with goals in the 29th and 45th+3 minutes, and completed his hat-trick deep into stoppage time (90+2). Nathan Saliba made it 4-0 in the 64th minute, shortly after coming on, and Mohamed Manai turned the ball into his own net in the 75th. Qatar played with ten men from the 33rd minute after Homam Ahmed was sent off for a last-man foul after a VAR review. A second red card early in the second half reduced Qatar to nine.
Koné's horrific injury
Ismaël Koné, the 24-year-old midfielder for Italian club Sassuolo, was carried off on a stretcher just after the 50th minute following a challenge by Qatar's Assim Madibo. Photographs suggested a fractured left lower leg. Teammates immediately signalled for assistance and gathered around him, while Madibo, distraught, was shown a straight red card. As he was taken from the pitch with his leg immobilised and aided by an oxygen bottle, Koné waved to the standing crowd who applauded him off. The injury is expected to end his tournament and likely sidelines him for months.
Group B implications
The result leaves Canada on four points after a 1-1 draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina. A draw against Switzerland in the final group match would secure top spot in Group B. Qatar, coached by Julen Lopetegui, had drawn 1-1 with Switzerland in their opener but now sit on one point and face a must-win game against Bosnia to have any chance of progressing. Jonathan David's three goals also make him joint-top scorer of the tournament alongside Lionel Messi.
