Canada vs Qatar was one of the most intense games in the 2026 World Cup. Unfortunately, in the middle of the second half, Ismael Kone suffered a broken leg injury.
Per Fabrizio Romano, Ismael Kone has suffered both a fractured fibula and tibia and will be out of action for at least 4-5 months. As part of Romano’s report, Kone is already in the hospital joined by his mother. Jesse Marsch wasn’t fond of Qatar’s behavior after Kone’s injury happen.
Effectively, Kone’s World Cup campaign is over, and he might actually be able to return to soccer action until half of the 2026-2027 season. Kone plays for Sassuolo, an Italian team that got relegated from Serie A to Serie B this season.
Who can replace Kone on the Canada roster?
While not having Kone is a serious blow to Canada’s midfield, Nathan Saliba is a premium replacement. In fact, just minutes after Kone’s injury, Saliba scored a free kick vs Qatar and celebrated honoring Kone.
Nathan Saliba scores the first direct free kick goal of the 2026 World Cup 🎯
— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 18, 2026
He dedicated it to Ismaël Koné who was stretchered off minutes before. pic.twitter.com/gsrP6mFYjd
Saliba is the perfect candidate to replace Kone on Canada’s starting XI. Both are athletic, box-to-box midfielders that excel at tracking back, winning duels, and breaking up the opposition’s play. They are also both very good at progressing with the ball once recovered.
Ismael Kone’s stats for Canada
Kone has racked up 42 games for Canada in which he’s scored four goals. The 24-year-old had become one of the most lined up players by Jesse Marsch. Now, Canada will lose a key player. Thankfully, the role pieces are good to go in Kone’s absence.
