Canadian midfielder Ismael Kone suffered a broken leg during his team’s 6-0 win over Qatar in Vancouver.
Kone was challenged by Qatar’s Assim Madibo, who was penalised for a foul, in the 50th minute of the match.
The nearest players to Kone reacted in shock as they saw the damage to his left leg. Kone was lifted on to a stretcher by medics and given oxygen. He gave a thumbs up as he was carried off the field, to applause from spectators.
Madibo appeared upset by the incident. He was initially booked by referee Cristian Marcelo Garay Reyes, but was later shown a red card following a VAR review.
Minutes later, midfielder Nathan Saliba lifted up Kone’s shirt in tribute to his teammate after scoring Canada’s fourth goal.
The game ended with both benches engaging in a skirmish on the touchline, which appeared to have been sparked by a tense handshake between managers Jesse Marsch and Julien Lopetegui.
“Ismael is such a great kid, he’s imperfect but that is why we love him,” said Canada head coach Marsch after the game. “He can do things that no other player can do. He embodies a lot of what this team is. He was our best player against Bosnia. He is a huge loss for us. Our hearts are with him, but that kid has a huge future.”
Kone plays for Serie A side Sassuolo and is being the subject of transfer speculation in recent months, with several major European clubs said to be interested the 24-year-old. He was playing in his first World Cup.
Centre-back Moise Bombito added: “Ismael’s injury is a big loss for us to be sure. He is an unbelievable human being, he will be missed a lot. We just have to make him proud.”
