Kone out of World Cup after surgery, Canada beat Qatar 6–0

Kone has surgery, out of the World Cup

Ismael Kone's World Cup is over. The Canada midfielder underwent successful surgery on a broken leg suffered in the 6–0 win over Qatar on Thursday (1). Kone posted on social media thanking fans for the support (1).

The injury came from a challenge by Qatar's Assim Madibo that former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett called "totally unacceptable" (2). Hackett was blunt about referee Cristian Marcelo Garay Reyes: "I was surprised that the referee, in an effort to avoid any confrontation, did not pull out his red card immediately" (2).

Qatar finished with nine men. Madibo and Homam Elamin both saw red eventually, but the damage was already done (2).

Canada ran riot, but the cost is steep

Jesse Marsch's side put six past Julen Lopetegui's Qatar in a Group A mismatch. The 6–0 scoreline was emphatic. The loss of Kone changes what comes next.

Canada are co-hosts and automatically qualified. No details on squad depth or replacements have emerged yet, but Kone was a key presence in midfield. The win puts points on the board. The injury takes a starter off it.

Hackett: red card should have been instant

Keith Hackett did not hold back. The former refereeing chief said Madibo should have been sent off the moment the challenge connected (2). Instead, Garay Reyes delayed, and Hackett believes the official was trying to manage temperatures rather than enforce the laws (2).

Fan reactions

The mood on Reddit is split. Most threads are focused on Kone, relief that surgery went well, but real concern about losing him for the rest of the tournament. One fan on r/worldcup pointed to Canada vs Qatar as proof the expanded 48-team format is actually delivering entertaining matchups, not the blowouts critics predicted. See the discussion here.