Ismaël Koné injury scare as Canada hit Qatar 6-0, Mexico profit from South Korea error | OneFootball

Co-hosts Canada and Mexico recorded contrasting wins overnight, Canada routed Qatar 6-0 for their first World Cup victory, while Mexico beat South Korea 1-0 to reach the last 32 and top Group A.

According to L'Équipe, Qatar finished with nine men after Homam Ahmed and Assim Madibo were sent off, and earlier Switzerland defeated Bosnia-Herzegovina 4-1.

Ismaël Koné left on a stretcher following Madibo’s challenge, the Qatar defender later went to the Canada dressing room to apologise. Koné raised a thumbs-up to reassure the crowd as he was taken away.

Jesse Marsch said the sound of bone breaking was heard, that he had not yet spoken to Koné, who was in hospital, and that the player would prepare for surgery. The exact leg injury was not specified, it could be a double tibia and fibula fracture, and any absence will depend on its nature.

Mexico’s winner arrived five minutes after the restart when Kim Seung-gyu spilled the ball after colliding with a team-mate, leaving Luis Romo to score. South Korea must now wait for their final match against South Africa on Thursday at 5.00 to confirm a place in the knockout phase.

The red card count at the 2026 World Cup moved to six with the Qatari dismissals, already more than the entire totals at 2022 and 2018, both four. Earlier reds went to Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane of South Africa, César Montes of Mexico, and Tarik Muharemovic of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The record stands at 28 in 2006.

Source: L'Équipe