Ismael Kone injury update: Canada’s historic World Cup win emotional as Kone set to undergo surgery, Saliba pays touching tribute

Ismaël Koné to undergo surgery; Saliba pays moving tribute (AP Photos) Canada celebrated their first-ever FIFA World Cup victory with a stunning 6-0 demolition of Qatar, but the landmark event was overshadowed by a devastating injury to midfielder Ismaël Koné and an emotional tribute from his replacement Nathan Saliba.Koné suffered a horrific left leg injury following a reckless challenge by Qatar midfielder Assim Madiba in the second half of the Group B match. The 24-year-old collapsed in agony and immediately signaled for help, prompting teammates to rush to his side. Canada captain Stephen Eustaquio admitted the sight made the players fear the worst.“I saw his leg. I saw that something was wrong,” Eustaquio said after the match.Madibo was shown a straight red card for the challenge, leaving Qatar with nine men after Homam Ahmed was sent off early in the first half. Koné was treated for a long time on the field before being stretched out in emotional scenes.

Jesse Marsch provides the latest updates on Koné

Despite the jubilant score, Canadian coach Jesse Marsch revealed that Koné was taken to a local hospital and was being prepared for surgery with his family by his side.The exact nature of the injury has not been officially released, although photos from the incident indicated a serious fracture to his lower left leg.“We will miss him,” Eustaquio said. “He has the X-factor that our team really needs.Star forward Jonathan David also condemned the challenge that led to the injury.“If there’s a game where you can’t win the ball, there’s no point. It’s just about hurting people,” David said.

Saliba honors an injured teammate after scoring

Less than 10 minutes after replacing Koné, Nathan Saliba created one of the most memorable moments of the evening.The substitute midfielder curled in Canada’s fourth goal in the 64th minute and celebrated by holding up the Koné jersey as a heartfelt tribute to his injured teammate.The emotional gesture came on a night that also belonged to Jonathan David, who scored a hat trick as Canada secured a place in the knockout stages.Cyle Larin opened the scoring before David struck twice in the first half. Saliba scored to make it 4-0, while Mohamed Manai’s own goal and Davido’s third in stoppage time completed the lead.“No one will forget this and no Canadian will forget this day,” Marsch said after Canada’s first-ever World Cup victory.“It’s an incredibly pivotal moment for everyone to understand that there’s talent in this country, there’s mentality, there’s desire and there’s a lot of things that make this country special.”