Yoane Wissa wrote his name into DR Congo’s football history books by scoring the nation’s first-ever FIFA World Cup goal.
Wissa’s strike was the first ever World Cup goal scored by DR Congo.
It was also a rare milestone for the Premier League. Wissa became the first player from a Premier League club to score a country’s inaugural World Cup goal since Tim Cahill did so for Australia in 2006.
Yoane Wissa joins Tim Cahill in rare World Cup company
Cahill’s goal came against Japan on 12 June 2006, helping Australia come from behind to win 3-1 in Kaiserslautern.
That moment was significant because it marked Australia’s arrival on the World Cup stage. Wissa’s goal now carries the same symbolic weight for DR Congo, who are returning to the tournament under their current name after a long absence.
There was plenty of anticipation around DR Congo’s opener against Portugal, with Wissa already seen as one of their most recognisable attacking players heading into the tournament.
A historic goal that goes beyond the scoreboard
First goals at a World Cup are remembered differently. They are not just statistics, but moments that help shape a country’s footballing identity.
For Wissa, it was a personal milestone as well. He has long been one of DR Congo’s key forwards, but a World Cup goal gives that reputation a lasting significance.
What makes the stat stand out is the context: it had been 20 years since Cahill’s goal for Australia before another Premier League player repeated the feat for a different nation.
That puts Wissa in a select group. Whatever happens next for DR Congo in 2026, their first World Cup goal will always be linked to his name.
