Canada earned its first-ever victory at the men’s World Cup with a 6-0 win over Qatar Thursday. Thousands of fans inside Vancouver’s BC Place became a sea of red, cheering on the home team as forward Jonathan David recorded a hat trick, the first recorded by a CONCACAF player at the World Cup in nearly 100 years. Midfielder Ismael Kone suffered a lower-body injury early in the second half that required him to be carted off the field and be sent to hospital. Canada will face Switzerland in Vancouver next Wednesday in their third and final game of the group stage. Here’s everything that happened on Thursday: 6:15 p.m. PT: Canada’s greatest soccer momentsAfter seven games without a victory, the Canadian men’s soccer team has finally won a match at the World Cup. The victory, which all but secured Canada a trip to the knockout stage, immediately earned a place among the national team’s greatest moments, though celebrations were tempered by a serious injury to midfielder Ismaël Koné. From qualifying on a cold day in Newfoundland in 1985 to the women’s team claiming gold in the Tokyo Olympics, here’s a look at some of the other standout moments: 5:53 p.m. PT: Carney addresses team in locker roomPrime Minister Mark Carney greeted the team in the locker room after the historic win, praising players both for their performance and their sportsmanship—particularly after Ismaël Koné’s injury. “You showed a level of character some people never achieve in their life, and you showed it when the entire country—and a good part of the world—was watching,” Carney said. He also praised Koné’s conduct as he was taken away on a stretcher. “He applauds the fans coming off, he shakes the hands of the Qataris coming off,” Carney said. “I couldn’t be prouder as a Canadian. On behalf of all Canadians, I want to thank you.” 5:07 p.m. PT: ‘Switzerland, we’re coming for you’The crowd at Toronto’s Fan Festival are ecstatic after Canada’s men’s team scored their first-ever World Cup win, dominating Qatar 6-0. “I love Canada. This means so much to me. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I can’t believe it,” one fan tells CP24’s Sijia Liu. Another fan says, “It’s the best day in Canadian soccer history.” Many fans are now looking ahead to Canada’s match against Switzerland next week in Vancouver. “Switzerland, we’re coming for you,” one fan says. 5:01 p.m. PT: Canada winsA roar went up from the B.C. Place crowd as the final whistle blew on a historic afternoon for Canada. A first World Cup win would have been historic on its own, but Canada did it in style, pummelling Qatar 6-0 behind a hat trick from Jonathan David and goals from Cyle Larin, Nathan Saliba and an own goal created by Jacob Shaffelburg. David is the first player from a host nation to score a hat trick in a World Cup since Geoff Hurst did so for England in the final match of the 1966 tournament, according to the TSN broadcast. The only blemish for Canada was the serious injury to midfielder Ismaël Koné in the second half. Koné was stretchered off the pitch and taken to hospital.
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