Ismaël Koné reunites with Canadian teammates after World Cup injury
The 24-year-old midfielder, sidelined after suffering a broken fibula and tibia during Canada's 6-0 win over Qatar, greeted his team at a downtown Vancouver hotel Saturday.
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Ismaël Koné has rejoined his Canadian teammates after undergoing surgery for injuries sustained during Thursday's historic 6-0 World Cup victory over Qatar.
The 24-year-old midfielder suffered a broken fibula and tibia in the match. Three Vancouver general surgeons repaired both breaks within hours of the incident. Koné was discharged from hospital and greeted by his teammates outside the Westin Bayshore in downtown Vancouver on Saturday in a video posted by the Canadian national team.
Teammate Nathan Saliba, who replaced Koné and scored the first free-kick goal in FIFA World Cup 2026 history minutes after subbing on, held Koné's jersey up to the crowd in an emotional moment. "I didn't feel like celebrating. I was just thinking about my friend," Saliba told reporters after the match. The crowd chanted Koné's name when he appeared with the team.