In the summer before the World Cup, Marsch lauded himself as an “agent” of sorts, having helped his players secure club situations that would allow them to elevate their play.
Through the summer window, eight CanMNT players made moves, and of the 26 players on the March roster, 18 have switched clubs since March 2025.
Central midfielder Ismaël Koné’s move to recently-promoted Serie A side U.S. Sassuolo after a falling out with Marseille head coach Roberto De Zerbi was chief among them. Since joining the Italian side, Koné has played 27 Serie A matches and has five goals, while often orchestrating transitions in play against some of Italy’s biggest clubs.
“Ismaël is now an established player and in the two years that I’ve been here, I think he now understands more about what higher levels look like and how to be more reliable and disciplined,” Marsch said at training Tuesday.
“He’s been outstanding at Sassuolo, not just with the ball, but with his defensive responsibilities, and the intensity that he plays with is at a different level. We expect him to be a cornerstone of what we do this summer.”
Koné will look to impress against Tunisia – he’s suspended against Iceland – as he aims to lock down a starting role at the World Cup. He will have the opportunity to prove that in the heart of Canada’s 4-4-2, even though it won’t come alongside Eustáquio, an effective lock to start in one of the midfield roles.
While Eustàquio brings distribution, Koné adds a dynamic aspect to possession. When he is on his game, he can glide with the ball, sneaking past defenders in tight spaces and dictating the tempo, while also eyeing threaded passes to forwards.
He has shown himself to be more physical off the ball this season and has progressed at each CanMNT camp. His qualities are unique among the player pool and potential central midfielders, including LAFC’s Mathieu Choiniére, RSC Anderlecht’s Nathan Saliba, and Toronto FC’s Jonathan Osorio.