Qatar’s World Cup loss to Canada on Thursday spiraled so badly that goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada appeared in tears after the final whistle, receiving consolation from a teammate and Canada’s Jacob Schaffelburg.
“It was a tough match because everything that could go wrong did go wrong,” coach Julen Lopetegui said. “That’s how football is sometimes.”
Qatar were reduced to nine men early in the second half after two red cards and went on to suffer a 6-0 defeat, the heaviest in the country’s brief World Cup history.
Qatar made its World Cup debut as host in 2022, losing 2-0 to Ecuador, 3-1 to Senegal and 2-0 to the Netherlands.
The second dismissal came when midfielder Assim Madibo fouled Canada’s Ismael Kone from behind, breaking his lower left leg. Kone was stretchered off and taken to a hospital for surgery.
