Canada rally around Ismaël Koné in epic World Cup performance | OneFootball

By Ari Liljenwall

Canada's emphatic first-ever FIFA World Cup victory came at a cost.

Star midfielder Ismaël Koné suffered a serious leg injury and exited on a stretcher during Canada's historic 6-0 rout of Qatar on Thursday at Vancouver Stadium, dampening an otherwise flawless evening for the tournament co-hosts. After the match, head coach Jesse Marsch indicated that Koné had suffered a broken leg.

The injury occurred in the 51st minute when Qatar midfielder Assim Madibo made a lunging challenge on Koné, sending the former CF Montréal standout sprawling to the grass.

Madibo was shown a straight red card on the play, Qatar's second dismissal of the night after Homam Ahmed was sent off in the 33rd minute.

"He means everything to this team," Canada forward Jonathan David said of Koné after the match.

"I mean, if you have the same question to any guy on the team, they'll tell you the same because, I don't know how to describe. It's someone that we love a lot."

Galvanizing moment

Canada responded emphatically to the adversity. 

Marsch's side scored three more times after Koné was forced from the match, turning a devastating moment for one of their key midfielders into a galvanizing force behind their first-ever World Cup victory.

The most poignant celebration came after Nathan Saliba's 64th-minute free-kick goal, when the fellow CF Montréal alum held up Koné's No. 8 jersey to a roaring Vancouver crowd. 

"It's given us now something else to play for," former Nashville SC and CF Montréal defender Alistair Johnston said. "Hopefully [we'll] be able to go see him tonight at the hospital, see what kind of spirits he's in.

"Yeah, look, it's gonna hit him hard. But at the same time, I was proud of him, and we're gonna play for him."

Prime Minister's appearance

The significance of the moment was underscored further when Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the team in the locker room following the nation's historic result.

Carney's appearance capped an emotional evening for Canada, who celebrated the milestone moment while rallying around the injured Koné and moving to the brink of the knockout rounds. 

The victory moved Les Rouges into first place in Group B heading into the final round of group-stage matches.

Marsch's side closes out the group stage on June 24 against Switzerland in Vancouver, where they can secure the top spot in the group and advancement to the knockout rounds with a win or draw.