Ismaël Koné

CF Montréal

After a few months training with the CF Montréal first team, initially unable to sign a contract due to “some technicalities in MLS rules,” Koné officially signed a two-year contract with two option years on August 13, 2021. However, soon after signing his contract he suffered a knee injury, which limited his participation in training. After the 2021 season, he went to train with Montreal's sister club, Serie A club Bologna. Koné made his professional debut and scored his first goal with Montreal in a 3–0 win against Santos Laguna on February 23, 2022, in the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League. During the 2022 summer transfer window, EFL Championship clubs Sheffield United and Norwich City were reported to have approached Montréal over Koné's services.

Watford

In December 2022, EFL Championship club Watford announced they had agreed to sign Koné on a transfer from CF Montréal, with the midfielder penning a four-and-a-half-year deal. He made his debut on January 7, 2023, starting an FA Cup match against Reading. Koné scored his first goal for Watford in a 3–2 win over Norwich on November 28, 2023. In June 2024, Marseille would announce that they had reached an agreement with Watford to sign Koné pending a medical, with Watford confirming that Koné would depart the club after appearing in 63 games and scoring four goals.

Marseille

On June 28, 2024, it was announced Ligue 1 club Olympique Marseille had reached an agreement for the permanent…

Koné was eligible to play for Canada and the Ivory Coast. In March 2022, Koné was called up to Canada for their final window of 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification matches. He made his debut on March 24 against Costa Rica, as a substitute for Jonathan Osorio. Koné scored his first international goal for Canada in a friendly against Bahrain on November 11, 2022. Two days later on November 13, he was named to Canada's 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He appeared in all three of the team's matches at the World Cup. At the end of the year, Koné was named the men's 2022 Canada Soccer Young Player of the Year. The following year, Koné was awarded again the Canada Soccer Young Player of the Year. In June 2023, Koné was called up to Canada ahead of the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals. He scored in the second leg of the quarterfinals against Jamaica. In June 2024, Koné was named to Canada's squad for the 2024 Copa América. After starting in Les Rouges' first two games, Koné was benched for Jonathan Osorio for the final group stage match—a 0–0 draw that sent Canada to the quarterfinals. In May 2026, Koné was selected for Canada's squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Canada co-hosted with Mexico and the United States. On June 12, Koné was selected as player of the match in a 1–1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina during both teams' opening group stage game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which saw Canada earn their first World Cup point ever. On June 18, Koné was injured…

Koné is a strong and willing dribbler who favours direct attacking runs, covers ground effortlessly, and maintains composure under pressure. During his loan at Stade Rennais, Koné showcased increased dynamism, aggression in duels, and effectiveness in breaking defensive lines, qualities that had been less evident at Olympique de Marseille. Head coach Habib Beye praised Koné, stating, "Ismaël is a player of immense quality."

Ismaël Kenneth Jordan Koné was born on June 16, 2002 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. In 2010, he moved to Canada with his mother at age 7, growing up in Montreal. Two years later, he began playing youth soccer with the AS Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Panthers. When he was 16, he joined CS Saint-Laurent. With CS Saint-Laurent he earned the bronze medal at the 2019 Canadian Under-17 Championship. He went on trial in Belgium with Genk and Mouscron, but was unable to sign with Mouscron as they did not have the funds available to sign a non-European player. Soon afterwards, he was forced to return to Canada due to the COVID-19 pandemic, where he began training with CF Montreal U23 and earned an invitation to the first team's training camp in 2021.