Who is Ismaël Kone, the Canadian player who broke his leg during the World Cup

Canadian national team midfielder Ismaël Koné suffered a serious injury in the match against Qatar, this Thursday (18), for the 2026 World Cup, in Vancouver.

Five minutes into the second half, the number 8 received a challenge from Madibo and ended up breaking his left leg in a move that generated immediate despair on the field.

Currently, the 24-year-old athlete plays for Sassuolo in the Italian championship. Koné was born in Côte d'Ivoire, but chose to play for the Canadian national team, where he was playing his second World Cup game.

He began his professional career at CF Montréal in 2021. Before Sassuolo, Koné played for French first division clubs Marseille and Rennes. He also played for two seasons at Watford in the English Championship.

Difficult start to his career
According to the website "The Score", Koné tried out for clubs in Belgium, at the age of 18, but was unable to secure a transfer. His belated professional debut came against Santos Laguna, from Mexico, in February 2022, and less than a month later, Canada called him up.

In 2010, at just 7 years old, his mother made the difficult decision to emigrate to Canada in search of a better life, when he finally emerged in the sport.

Injury and tributes
Athletes from both teams reacted with shock to the move. Players from Canada and Qatar held their heads in their hands as they realized the severity of the injury, while the stadium remained silent during medical care. Striker Jonathan David was even caught crying during the stoppage.

Koné received treatment on the pitch, was removed on a stretcher and left the field to the applause of the fans present in Vancouver.

William Saliba was the scorer of Canada's fourth goal in the match against Qatar. During the celebration, the striker paid tribute to his teammate.

After the goal, he ran towards the stands holding Koné's shirt, while the fans applauded the gesture. The attacker also made the figure eight sign with his hands, in reference to the number used by the midfielder.

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Source: CNN