Jonathan David bagged a hat-trick as Canada secured ​their first ever World Cup finals victory and boosted their chances of reaching the knockout stages with a 6-0 thrashing of hapless ‌nine-man Qatar on Thursday.

The co-hosts’ joy at the resounding victory was tempered by a serious injury suffered by midfielder Ismael Kone, but they moved top of Group B with four points after two matches, while Qatar are bottom with one.

Canada next host second-placed Switzerland, who also have four points, in Vancouver on Wednesday.

Roared on by a vocal red-and-white crowd, Canada came out all ​guns blazing. Cyle Larin repaid coach Jesse Marsch’s faith in the 16th minute, reacting quickest after goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada saved David’s effort to ​give the hosts the lead.

Larin, who scored off the bench in Canada’s 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina, had ⁠been handed a start alongside David, the country’s all-time leading goalscorer.

Canada doubled their advantage 13 minutes later, David meeting a cross with a powerful volley and ​the match swung completely in Canada’s favour when Qatar were reduced to 10 men.

A penalty was initially awarded for El Amin’s foul on Tajon Buchanan, but ​a VAR review ruled the offence occurred outside the area. The decision was downgraded to a free kick, but Homam Ahmed’s yellow card was upgraded to a red.

David added his second just before halftime, bundling home from close range after Abunada had saved Larin’s header, leaving Qatar with a mountain to climb.

Kone sustained his injury following a tackle by ​Assim Madibo and was carried off on a stretcher, but the 24-year-old was later seen sitting up and waving to the crowd, his left leg ​in a large inflatable protective boot.

Tempers and emotions spilled over following the incident and Madibo was shown a red card to reduce Qatar to nine men.

Substitute Nathan Saliba, who ‌replaced Kone, ⁠added the fourth by whipping in a free kick before running to the sideline and holding up Kone’s shirt in tribute to him.

Things went from bad to worse for Qatar as midfielder Mohammad Mannai turned the ball into his own net before David completed his hat-trick in stoppage time to compound a miserable night for the visitors.

There was plenty of bite to the contest, and Marsch turned that intensity into celebration at full-time, facing the stands and pumping his ​fists in front of a partisan ​crowd in a country better known ⁠for its ice hockey passion. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was also in attendance to support his team.

“We wanted to play the kind of football that would electrify the crowd. We wanted to showcase the kind of talent, the mentality ​that we have,” Marsch said.

“There is going to be 40 million Canadians that claim they were in the stadium ​today. But these ⁠55,000 were lucky.

“Ismael will be fine. We will get him good doctors — we’ll get him back. Obviously, our heart is with him, but that kid has got a big future and he’s a big part of everything we do,” Marsch said of Kone.

Qatar next face Bosnia and Herzegovina in Seattle, with coach Julen Lopetegui ⁠insisting his side ​will regroup.

“We have two red cards, so those players are out for the next match,” ​Lopetegui said. “There is a big difference between the teams, and the next match will be more difficult. But we are not here because someone gave us a place. We are here because ​we earned it, and we will play and fight until the end.”

Fans in Afghanistan can tune in daily to Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) to watch these thrilling matches live.

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FIFA marked the International Day for Countering Hate Speech by bringing together football legends, policymakers, technology experts and community leaders in Atlanta to discuss practical solutions for combating discrimination and abuse in football and society.

The event, titled “Stop Hate, Protect Football – What Actually Works Against Hate Speech?”, was held at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights on the eve of the FIFA World Cup 2026 match between Czechia and South Africa at Atlanta Stadium.

Organised in partnership with TikTok and the City of Atlanta, the gathering focused on moving beyond awareness campaigns to identify concrete actions that can help eliminate racism, discrimination and hate speech both online and offline.

Former Liberia president and FIFA Players’ Voice Panel honorary captain George Weah joined former Nigeria international Mercy Akide, Atlanta Chief Impact Officer Candace Stanciel, TikTok Global Senior Director of Public Policy Eric Ebenstein, and U.S. Soccer referee mentor David Gerson on the discussion panel.

Weah reflected on his own experiences of racial abuse during his playing career and stressed the importance of protecting football’s values. “Football is not just a game of chance, it’s a game of unity,” Weah said.

“There are a lot of elements that want to destroy the game. Football is a game of peace and a game of unity. If we allow these things to continue, the beautiful game will be destroyed.”

He added that education remains a vital tool in the fight against discrimination. “We are trying to educate young people so they grow into loving people, not just people who love the game. Discrimination has no place in our society.”

Moderated by Atlanta-based sports journalist Simone Scott, the discussion examined the changing nature of hate speech in both digital and physical spaces. Panelists explored ways to identify effective interventions and transform institutional commitments into measurable results.

Candace Stanciel praised FIFA’s efforts to engage host cities and promote human rights through sport. “The panel gave us an opportunity to think about where the challenges are, what we’re doing that really works, and what commitments we can make,” she said.

“With an international experience like FIFA, we get to really talk about human rights on a global scale.”

Akide said the event highlighted the importance of collective action. “It made me feel empowered,” she said.

“We must bring everybody together and include everyone in this effort. Listening to the panel makes me want to do even more.”

A key focus of the event was FIFA’s Social Media Protection Service (SMPS), which monitors and removes abusive content targeting players, teams and officials across social media platforms.

Since its launch during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the service has reviewed more than 250 million posts and comments, identifying and removing over 30 million harmful messages.

The system remains active throughout the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026. Since the tournament began on June 11, more than 3.8 million posts and comments have been reviewed, with approximately 388,000 removed after being classified as abusive or harmful.

By comparison, 287,000 posts and comments were removed during the entirety of the 2022 World Cup.

The Atlanta forum forms part of FIFA’s broader Global Stand Against Racism initiative, which seeks to drive long-term change through education programmes, fan engagement and support resources for football associations around the world.

The event concluded with a commitment ceremony in which each panellist pledged specific actions to help combat hate speech in their respective communities, reinforcing the message that eliminating discrimination requires a united effort from every level of the game.

The discussion also echoed concerns raised by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on the International Day for Countering Hate Speech.

In his message marking the occasion, Guterres described hate speech as “the first step down the path of dehumanisation” and warned that it is increasingly being amplified by artificial intelligence and unregulated digital platforms.

He said algorithms often reward outrage and division, helping harmful content spread more rapidly online.

The UN has also highlighted the growing threat posed by AI-generated deepfakes, synthetic images and other forms of online abuse, particularly targeting women and vulnerable groups.

Guterres stressed that freedom of expression should never be used as a justification for harmful messages, while calling for greater accountability, stronger information integrity and increased public control over online experiences.

Defending champions Argentina began their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign in emphatic fashion with a 3-0 victory over Algeria, inspired by a historic hat-trick from Lionel Messi in Kansas City.

The Argentine captain delivered a masterclass on his landmark 200th international appearance, scoring in the 17th, 60th and 76th minutes to secure all three points for his side.

The performance marked Messi’s first-ever World Cup hat-trick and saw him become the first player in football history to appear in six FIFA World Cups.

His opening goal was a stunning long-range strike that left the Algerian goalkeeper with no chance. Messi added a close-range finish midway through the second half before completing his treble with a trademark curling effort into the bottom corner.

The three goals also propelled the 39-year-old into the record books. Messi moved to 16 World Cup goals, drawing level with German legend Miroslav Klose as the tournament’s all-time leading scorer.

In addition, Messi’s overall World Cup goal contributions reached 24, surpassing Brazilian great Pelé and setting a new all-time record.

Argentina controlled much of the contest and rarely looked troubled by Algeria, who struggled to contain Messi and the South American champions throughout the match.

The victory gives Argentina the perfect start to their title defence and underlines their status as one of the favourites to lift the trophy once again.

For Messi, it was another unforgettable chapter in an extraordinary international career as he continued to rewrite football history on the sport’s biggest stage.