Yoane Wissa will approach the round of 32 clash against England on Wednesday in Atlanta as the standout player for a DR Congo side that has reached the knockout stage for the first time in its history.
The Newcastle striker has scored three goals in three group matches, as many as he managed in 28 Premier League games last season, and is a key part of DR Congo's attacking plans. He's a surprising goal scorer, now 29 and enjoying the best spell of a career that began with less prominent Ligue 1 clubs: Châteauroux, Angers, Laval, Ajaccio, and Lorient before moving to the English league.
Efficiency born from scarce opportunities
Wissa's individual stats show steady progress from game to game in a reactive Congolese system. Against Portugal, he opened his account with 2 shots for 1 goal, a limited involvement (35 touches) but immediate efficiency in the box, with 3 touches in the danger area and 89% pass completion in the final third. He earned a 6.9 rating on Flashscore Ratings, in line with his role as the focal point up front.
Against Colombia, his influence was less direct (1 shot, 6.1 rating), but he maintained consistency in driving the ball forward, with 5 progressive carries and 100% pass completion in the final third—a sign of technical accuracy even in a match where DR Congo was largely on the back foot.
It was against Uzbekistan that his role took on a whole new dimension. Scoring a decisive brace, including winning and converting the equalising penalty himself, Wissa delivered the team's best individual performance of the tournament with an 8.1 Flashscore Rating and, logically, the man of the match award.
Six shots, two goals, seven touches in the box: numbers that show a constant presence in the danger area, along with an unusual defensive contribution for a striker - three recoveries and a clearance - highlighting the collective effort demanded by Sébastien Desabre in DR Congo's deep defensive block.
A target man profile rather than a pure finisher
While his three goals have caught the eye and put him among the top scorers at this World Cup, the stats suggest his role is broader than just scoring. His pass completion rate in the final third - over 85% in two of the three matches - shows that Wissa is also a technical link for a team that averaged just 39% possession in the group stage.
In a system where DR Congo looks to strike quickly in transition, his ability to hold up the ball under pressure in the final third is a key factor in breaking out from deep.
After his performance against Uzbekistan, Yoane Wissa was quick to remind everyone that he is "just one piece of the Congolese puzzle.
"Today was very tough; the weight on our shoulders was heavy. There are things to fix. But the most important thing is this historic round of 16. We're going to enjoy it because it was hard," he emphasised.
"All the guys, the substitutes, those who wore the shirt before, those who will wear it tomorrow, we all have to be proud. Thank you to all the Congolese people, it's for moments like this that we live for. We did it!"
FIFA World Cup 2026
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An expert on English football
Wissa heads into this clash with real experience of the English top flight. He joined Brentford in August 2021, after a complicated transfer delayed by an acid attack at his home shortly before, and spent four seasons there, becoming in January 2025 the club's all-time top scorer in the Premier League with 49 goals in 149 matches in all competitions.
In April 2025, his goal against Arsenal took him past the symbolic mark of 50 goal contributions in the Premier League, with detailed stats showing his versatility in finishing: 22 goals with his right foot, 11 with his left, and 8 headers, with particular success against certain English defences like Southampton, Bournemouth, and West Ham, against whom he scored several times.
His transfer to Newcastle in September 2025 was a difficult one: Wissa had publicly demanded to leave Brentford on social media, accusing the club of not honouring a transfer promise, before joining the Magpies at the last minute of the transfer window for around 60 million euros.
A knee injury picked up on international duty against Senegal in early September then delayed his debut for his new club until December 6, against Burnley.
This five-year experience in the English top flight, at Brentford and then Newcastle - two clubs with different playing philosophies but regularly facing the same defenders he'll meet on Wednesday - gives him a familiarity that could be decisive in managing individual duels and anticipating the Three Lions' intentions.
Against England, a counter-attacking threat
Against an English team expected to dominate possession - perhaps 65-70% as in the group stage, according to projections - Wissa's role will likely shift to that of a target man tasked with exploiting the spaces left by a high defensive line. His ability to be dangerous with few chances - just two shots were enough to score against Portugal - makes him a real threat in transition for an England side that will need to be careful when losing the ball.
After some tough months in the northeast of England, Wissa is showing that he is once again "physically fit" and "mentally strong.
"I'm proud today to show that I'm a good player," he says. As fate would have it, the striker will face two Newcastle teammates on Wednesday, including Anthony Gordon, the future FC Barcelona striker. It's a chance for Wissa to finally show them what he's capable of.