Co-hosts Canada produced a commanding display to defeat nine-man Qatar 6-0 in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group B clash at BC Place in Vancouver on Thursday. Jonathan David scored a hat-trick, while Cyle Larin, Nathan Saliba and an own goal from Mohammed Manai completed the scoring in Canada's biggest-ever World Cup victory. It was also Canada's first-ever World Cup win, however, the historic result was overshadowed by a serious injury to midfielder Ismael Kone.
Canada set the tone from the opening whistle, pressing aggressively and forcing Qatar onto the back foot. The breakthrough arrived in the 16th minute when Larin reacted quickest to a rebound and slotted the ball past Mahmoud Abunada to give Canada an early lead.
The hosts continued to dominate possession and doubled their advantage in the 29th minute. A swift attacking move carved open the Qatari defence before David applied the finishing touch to make it 2-0.
Qatar's hopes of mounting a comeback suffered a major blow four minutes later when defender Homam Ahmed was shown a straight red card following a VAR review for a reckless challenge. Reduced to 10 men, the visitors struggled to contain Canada's attacking pressure.
David struck again deep into first-half stoppage time, capitalising on the extra space and a mistake from the goalkeeper to score his second goal of the night and send Canada into the interval with a comfortable 3-0 lead.
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The match took a sombre turn in the 53rd minute. Koné, one of Canada's most influential midfielders, suffered a serious leg injury following a reckless challenge from Assim Madibo. The 24-year-old immediately signalled for medical assistance and was stretchered from the field to a standing ovation from the Vancouver crowd.
Following a VAR review, Madibo's yellow card was upgraded to a straight red card, leaving Qatar with just nine players for the remainder of the contest.
Despite the concern surrounding Kone, Canada maintained their intensity. Substitute Nathan Saliba, who replaced the injured midfielder, made an immediate impact by scoring the hosts' fourth goal in the 64th minute, courtesy a stunning direct free-kick. Saliba celebrated by holding up Kone's shirt in tribute to their injured star.
The pressure continued to mount on Qatar and a fifth goal arrived in the 75th minute when Mohammed Manai inadvertently turned the ball into his own net while attempting to deal with another dangerous Canadian attack.
David then completed a memorable hat-trick in second-half stoppage time. The Juventus forward latched on to a brilliant through ball and rifled a left-footed shot into the top corner to become the first Canadian player to score a World Cup hat-trick.
The result significantly strengthens Canada's position in Group B ahead of the final round of fixtures. After being held in their opening match, Jesse Marsch's side now have both momentum and a major goal-difference advantage as they pursue a place in the knockout stages.
Canada will face Switzerland in their final Group B fixture on June 24, while Qatar take on Bosnia & Herzegovina with their qualification hopes hanging by a thread.
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