Ismaël Koné

About

Professional soccer player most celebrated for playing as a midfielder for the English Football League Championship club Watford F.C. Eligible to play on an international level for both Canada and the Ivory Coast, he was chosen to represent Canada at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where he appeared in all three of the team's matches. In June of 2023, he was also called to represent Canada for the CONCACAF Nations League Finals. 

Before Fame

He commenced his youth soccer career when he was just nine years old with the AS Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Panthers. At the age of 16, he joined Club de Soccer Saint-Laurent. He later moved on to train with CF Montreal U23 and attend their 2021 first team's training camp. He made his professional career debut with Montreal in a 3-0 winning match against the Mexican team Santos Laguna, where he also scored his first senior career goal.

Trivia

At the Canadian Under-17 Championship in the year 2019, he earned the bronze medal with CS Saint-Laurent. He was also named the Canada Soccer Youth Player of the Year in 2022 following his performance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Family Life

He is the son of Salifou Koné and Suzanne Diomandé. He was born in Yopougon, Ivory Coast and relocated to Montréal with his family at the age of seven.

Associated With

His Watford Football Club teammates on the 2023-24 season roster include Francisco Sierralta, Wesley Hoedt, and Tom Ince.