Canada’s Ismael Kone gets visit from Qatari who broke his leg at FIFA World Cup

Canadian midfielder suffered a broken tibia and fibula after being fouled by Assim Madibo during match against Qatar last week. Read more.

Published Jun 24, 2026  •  2 minute read

Canada's Ismael Kone hugs Qatar's Assim Madibo. Qatar/X

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He won’t be patrolling Canada’s midfield for Wednesday’s big World Cup match against Switzerland, but Ismael Kone will still be a strong presence at Vancouver Stadium.

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But it’s not just Canadians who are rallying around the injured young star.

In photos shared by the Qatar Football Association, Assim Madibo — the player who ended Kone’s World Cup — recently paid a visit with the fallen 24-year-old to check on his health.

Kone, sitting in a wheelchair, was seen smiling as he met with Madibo, who was accompanied by Qatar’s minister of sports, Khalifa Al Thani.

It was Madibo’s fierce tackle in the second half of Canada’s 6-0 win that broke Kone’s leg in two places. A key player for Canada, Kone was stretchered off the field and had surgery to repair the injury.

Kone has since rejoined the Canadian team and will be a huge rallying force for Wednesday’s finale of Group B play, which will decide who finishes first.

Television image of Madibo at the time showed how stricken he felt at injuring the Canadian. The Qatari player was given a red card, ending his night as Canada cruised to victory.

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The injury triggered some high emotions for the remainder of the contest, including a testy exchange between Canadian coach Jesse Marsch and his Qatari counterpart following the final whistle.

How will Canadian fans honour Kone?

The Voyageurs, the boisterous Canadian supporters group, have planned a tribute to Kone attached to Wednesday’s contest.

The group says it plans to print 3,000 placards with a No. 8 on it to be held up during the Canadian anthem prior to the contest against Switzerland.

While it’s not known where Kone will watch the match from, it figures to be an emotional scene at the stadium in Vancouver as the popular Canadian player is recognized.

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How will Canada make up for Kone’s absence?

It’s expected that Marsch will use 22-year-old Nathan Saliba as Kone’s positional replacement for the Switzerland contest. It’s a tall order, but the young player responded instantly in the Qatar match, scoring soon after he substituted in for Kone.

The good news, however, is that Marsch feels that centre back Moise Bombito’s recovery from a broken bone in his leg has accelerated to the point that he can be a bigger factor.

As well, the coach declared that captain Alphonso Davies is all but certain to see some playing time against the Swiss, a 2026 World Cup debut for the team leader.

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