Wissa double sends DR Congo past Uzbekistan at World Cup

Yoane Wissa struck in the 91st minute to complete his brace and seal DR Congo’s 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan at Atlanta Stadium, finishing a tense Group K match with the kind of late finishing that has already defined his tournament. The Newcastle United forward had also given DR Congo its first World Cup goal and first point against Portugal in Houston, and he again delivered when the Leopards needed a decisive touch.

The result closed DR Congo’s group stage on June 27, 2026, in Atlanta and underlined the scale of the country’s return to the World Cup for the first time since 1974, when it competed as Zaire. FIFA had pointed to Sébastien Desabre’s squad as a side built around Wissa, Chancel Mbemba, Arthur Masuaku and Cedric Bakambu, with the team ending a 52-year absence from the tournament before it even reached the pitch against Uzbekistan.

Wissa’s earlier equaliser against Portugal had already written a place in the nation’s football history. He headed in during first-half stoppage time, at 45+5, to secure a 1-1 draw in Houston and give DR Congo its first goal and first point in World Cup competition. After that match, Wissa said the moment felt like his whole life had flashed before him, and he later called his mother and cried with emotion.

FIFA said DR Congo earned its place at the 2026 World Cup through the FIFA Play-Off Tournament, beating Jamaica 1-0 after extra time on March 31, 2026. The governing body also noted that the country had waited 52 years and 18,997 days to score again at a World Cup, a stretch that made Wissa’s equaliser against Portugal and his brace against Uzbekistan carry far more than simple group-stage value.

There were signs before the tournament that DR Congo’s attack was becoming harder to contain. In June, the Leopards held Denmark to a 0-0 draw in Liege, with Wissa among the most prominent figures, and that control showed again in Atlanta as DR Congo turned a tight contest into a two-goal margin. For Desabre, Wissa’s form has given DR Congo a forward who can decide matches late and raise the team’s attacking ceiling as the tournament continues.