Lionel Messi Details "Difficult, Complicated Days" Ahead of World Cup 2026
Tragedy has struck on the pitch of the 2026 World Cup.
During the June 18 match between Qatar and Canada—a host country of this year’s tournament alongside the United States and Mexico—Canadian Ismaël Koné suffered a gruesome leg injury that likely ended his run at this year’s tournament.
In the moments before the injury, Canada was charging down the field and Koné was passed the ball by teammate Jonathan David. As soon as Koné received the ball, Assim Madibo of Qatar attacked for possession, and in the process struck Koné’s leg, resulting in an audible crack.
As play was paused and the referee called for immediate medical attention, the camera cut to Koné, who appeared in utter shock as he held what appeared to be a visibly broken leg.
In the aftermath of the injury, an assistant coach for Canada could be heard shouting at a referee, “His leg is hanging off! His leg is hanging off! He’s got a f--king broken leg, man!”
Meanwhile, Canadian and Qatari soccer players had to be separated as arguing ensued.
As Koné was carted off the field on a stretcher, he waved to the crowd and hugged his teammates and coach.
Afterwards, his teammate Nathan Saliba held up Koné’s jersey to the crowd to uproarious cheers. The Canadian Men’s National Team shared a picture of the moment on Instagram, writing, “All of Canada is behind you, Ismaël.”
Emilee Chinn/Getty Images
Though Madibo was initially given a yellow card for his foul, an additional review determined the violation was committed with intent and the penalty was elevated to a red card. As a result, Madibo was ejected from the game and will be suspended from Qatar’s June 24 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Earlier in the match, Homam Ahmed of Qatar had also received a red card for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity from Canada’s Tajon Buchanan when he pulled Buchanan and tripped him.
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As a result of the red cards, Qatar—who was losing 3-0 before Koné’s injury—played down two players and lost to Canada 6-0.
While Koné’s run at the 2026 World Cup is likely over, read on to learn more about other players to keep your eye on.
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Lamine Yamal
Age: 18
World Cup Team: Spain
Current Soccer Club: FC Barcelona (Spain)
Position: Midfielder
Don't let Yamal's age fool you. In just two years since his debut, the Spaniard already has a UEFA European Football Championship under his belt. He was also the runner-up for the Ballon d'Or—also known as the "Golden Ball," an award recognizing the best soccer player of the year—in 2025.
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Lionel Messi
Age: 38
World Cup Team: Argentina
Current Soccer Club: Inter Miami CF (United States)
Position: Forward
History has its eyes on Messi, who is the most decorated player in the world of soccer. Not only is he the defending World Cup champion, but the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner is on the cusp of becoming the first player to win back-to-back World Cups as the captain of his national team.
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Cristiano Ronaldo
Age: 41
World Cup Team: Portugal
Current Soccer Club: Al-Nassr (Saudi Arabia)
Position: Forward
There's a reason why Ronaldo is considered one of the greatest players of all time. After all, he's scored over 970 goals in his career so far and shows no signs of stopping. He scored at least 100 goals while playing with each of his former clubs—Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus—as well as over 130 goals with his national team.
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Harry Kane
Age: 32
World Cup Team: England
Current Soccer Club: Bayern Munich (Germany)
Position: Forward
Known as one of the best strikers of his generation, Kane is serving as the captain of England's national team for the third consecutive World Cup. In fact, the London native scored the winning goal at the team's warm-up match against New Zealand on June 6.
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Jamal Musiala
Age: 23
World Cup Team: Germany
Current Soccer Club: Bayern Munich (Germany)
Position: Midfielder
Ever since kicking off his professional soccer career at age 16, Musiala has been nicknamed "Bambi" for his graceful movements on the pitch. He made his World Cup debut at the 2022 tournament.
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Neymar
Age: 34
World Cup Team: Brazil
Current Soccer Club: Santos FC (Brazil)
Position: Forward
Born Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, the mononymous sensation is his home country's all-time leading scorer after surpassing Pelé's 52-year record in 2023. He's looking to lead his team back to World Cup glory for the first time since 2002.
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Luka Modric
Age: 40
World Cup Team: Croatia
Current Soccer Club: AC Milan (Italy)
Position: Midfielder
Considered Croatia's greatest soccer player, Modric captained the nation's team to a third-place victory at the 2018 World Cup. He also holds the record for most caps for Croatia, playing for the country more than 190 times on the international stage.
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Kylian Mbappe
Age: 27
World Cup Team: France
Current Soccer Club: Real Madrid (Spain)
Position: Forward
Mbappe took home the World Cup when he made his debut in 2018. And after coming close in 2022, with Argentina defeating France in a penalty shoot-out, the Frenchman is undoubtedly entering this year's competition with fire in his belly.
Maria Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates/Getty Images
Vinicius Junior
Age: 25
World Cup Team: Brazil
Current Soccer Club: Real Madrid (Spain)
Position: Forward
Born Vinícius José Paixão de Oliveira Júnior, the Brazilian soccer superstar was crowned The Best FIFA Men’s Player and runner-up to the Ballon d'Or in 2024. In his second World Cup appearance, Vini Jr. is hoping to end Brazil's 24-year wait for the trophy.
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