By Samuel Akpan
Canada recorded their first victory in FIFA World Cup history with a commanding 6-0 win over nine-man Qatar in a dramatic Group B encounter at BC Place in Vancouver on Thursday night.
Jonathan David led the charge with a hat-trick, while Cyle Larin and Nathan Saliba also found the net.
Qatar defender Mohamed Manai added to his team’s misery with an own goal as the hosts took full advantage of their numerical superiority.
The match was marred by a serious injury to Canadian midfielder Ismael Kone shortly after halftime.
Kone went down in agony following a challenge from Qatar’s Assim Madibo and had to be stretchered off while receiving oxygen.
Madibo was initially booked for the challenge but was later dismissed after a VAR review upgraded the offence to a straight red card.
Qatar had already been reduced to ten men earlier when Homam Ahmed was sent off in the first half.
Nathan Saliba, who came on as a replacement for the injured Kone, marked his introduction with a stunning free-kick in the 64th minute to make it 4-0.
He celebrated by holding up Kone’s number eight jersey and pointing to it in tribute to his teammate.
The three goals took David’s tally to three in the tournament, making him only the second player to score a hat-trick at the 2026 World Cup and the first male player from the CONCACAF region to achieve the feat since 1930.
He also became the first Canadian man to score more than once in a single World Cup match.
David admitted the mood in the Canadian camp was subdued despite the historic result.
“It was a great game even before he got hurt, but I think after he got hurt, it was tough to focus on the game, even finishing the game,” he said.
“We just wanted the game to end so we could all be together.”
Reflecting on the significance of the victory, David added: “It will take a few days to sink in, but obviously we know that what we’ve done today is historical for the country, our first win in the World Cup, and to do it in that fashion is really amazing.”
Tensions flared after the final whistle as players from both sides clashed near the halfway line, forcing FIFA officials and coaching staff to step in and separate the teams.
The emphatic win puts Canada in a strong position to top Group B.
They now need just a draw against Switzerland in their final group match to secure first place.