Youssef Wissa is heading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup with the Democratic Republic of Congo, a tournament return that ends a 52-year wait for the country. The 29-year-old Newcastle United forward is expected to be one of the key figures in Sébastien Desabre’s squad as DR Congo prepare for Group K.
That is why his name is drawing attention now. Wissa returned from injury earlier this year and played in DR Congo’s successful World Cup playoff campaign, giving the side a forward who has already shown he can turn a tight match. For a team going back to the World Cup for the first time since 1974, he is not just part of the squad list. He is part of the reason the run feels possible.
DR Congo’s route also makes the moment bigger. They competed as Zaire in 1974, and the next World Cup gives them a chance to reset that history with Wissa at the front of the line. They have been drawn with Portugal, Colombia and Uzbekistan in Group K, a test that will quickly show whether the squad can carry qualifying form into the tournament itself. Newcastle’s coaching staff will be watching those matches closely, because what happens there will shape how they view the rest of Wissa’s year.
That interest comes with a more awkward backdrop. Wissa’s first season at Newcastle United was interrupted by injury problems, including a knee injury he suffered while on international duty with DR Congo, and he did not have the run of games a £55 million signing usually needs. Competition for places also limited his impact, which meant the move from Brentford did not yet produce the sharp, regular scoring threat Newcastle were buying.
The World Cup now gives him a clean chance to change that story. A strong tournament would do more than help DR Congo in a historic campaign; it could reset the picture around Wissa himself and give him a springboard into a much-improved 2026-27 season at club level. For Newcastle and DR Congo alike, the next few matches are about more than selection. They will show whether Wissa can turn recovery into momentum.
