Koné suffered a broken leg during Canada’s win vs. Qatar Thursday night, ending his World Cup.
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| Canada’s Ismaël Koné leaves the field on a stretcher after breaking his leg against Qatar. Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press |
Canadian midfielder Ismaël Koné showed gratitude for his teammates in his first statement after sustaining a devastating injury to his left leg during Canada's World Cup match against Qatar on Thursday.
In a post to Instagram, Koné said the outpouring of love and support after he was stretchered off following a tackle by Qatari midfielder Assim Madibo in the second half of Canada’s 6-0 win has “been felt” and he was grateful for those keeping him in their prayers.
“Allah will never give you a challenge that you can’t overcome and being tested is the best of gift from god,” he said before turning the focus to his teammates.
“To Canadian brothers, as I turned myself into assistant coach to support you from the sideline ... I wanted you to know that I love you guys from the bottom of my heart and our brotherhood is everything to me.
“What you guys did yesterday will stay with me forever.”
Koné’s surgery at a Vancouver hospital on Thursday night was deemed a success. The Montrealer is expected to make a full recovery but will miss the remainder of the soccer tournament, coach Jesse Marsch told reporters in Vancouver.
Several members of the Canadian soccer team rushed to Koné as he laid on the grass, clutching his leg, including Moïse Bombito and Maxime Crépeau. Bombito had just made his return to play against Qatar after a long recovery from a broken leg he suffered in a game last October. Crépeau fractured his right leg back in 2022, causing him to miss that year’s World Cup tournament.
Later on throughout the game, Koné’s teammates honoured him with their inspiring play. When Nathan Saliba, who came on to replace the injured Koné, scored the country’s fourth goal, he held up the Montrealer’s No. 8 jersey to the crowd.
After the men’s national team earned its first win in World Cup history, Bombito visited Koné in the hospital and posted a photo to Instagram. The pair held up two peace signs while Koné rested on a hospital bed.
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, who watched the game in Vancouver alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino, visited the team’s dressing room after the match and spoke about how Koné and his teammates responded after the shocking injury.
“You showed a level of character that some people never achieve in their life,” Carney said. “And you showed it when the entire country and a good part of the world was watching ... I couldn’t be prouder as a Canadian.”
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| Canada’s Nathan Saliba holds up Ismaël Koné’s jersey after scoring against Qatar. Emilee Chinn/Getty Images |
In his social media post, Koné ended his message with a final promise.
“I’ll be back very soon,” he said, “and we’ll keep making more memories together.”
- Sadeen Mohsen
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