DR Congo talisman Yoane Wissa is preparing to face England in the round of 32 at World Cup 2026. The match will be covered for the BBC by Alan Shearer, whose legendary shirt number Wissa took when he signed for Newcastle United last summer.
England's Unfamiliar Opponent
The Three Lions have advanced to the knockout stages and are immediately confronted by an opponent they know little about. England have never played DR Congo, and this is only the African nation's second World Cup appearance, and their first time past the group stages.
Newcastle's Wissa, who made a £55m switch to St James' Park in 2025 from Brentford, has scored three goals in North America so far and helped his side qualify from Group K.
Shearer and Wissa: A Complex History
Fans tuning in to watch on the BBC on Wednesday evening will hear the voices of Magpies icon Shearer on co-commentary. Wissa and Shearer share a complex history, including an AFCON disagreement and a telling text message.
Wissa arrived in England in 2021 and emerged as a top talent for Brentford, scoring 45 top-flight goals. This persuaded Newcastle to part with £55m for him in September 2025, but almost immediately after his arrival, he suffered a serious knee injury in a World Cup qualifier. The 29-year-old began his Newcastle career in the physio's room.
The AFCON Debate
This meant that Wissa barely played at the start of last season, and as Christmas approached, so did the Africa Cup of Nations. DR Congo had qualified, and Wissa is arguably their star player. But a debate ensued over whether he should travel to Morocco, having yet to play for Newcastle. Shearer made his thoughts crystal clear on the matter, disagreeing with the notion that he should go.
"It will be a really difficult decision for Wissa not to go to AFCON because you always want to represent your country," Shearer told Betfair. "But what I would say is, because of him not training or playing during the summer, he could've shown more responsibility in not playing as much as he did in those two games when he went away on international duty and hadn't played at all. It'll be a tough ask, but I understand that there'll be a lot of people thinking that he's never played for Newcastle and he needs to show some loyalty towards us."
With Newcastle receiving payments from FIFA because of Wissa's injury occurring on international duty, they were given considerable leverage when negotiating with the Congolese Football Association, stressing that his priority should be Newcastle. Eventually, Wissa was left out of the DR Congo squad as a pragmatic decision and made his Newcastle debut on December 6 in a 2-1 win over Burnley.
No Bad Blood
There is zero bad blood between Wissa and Shearer despite this disagreement. A few weeks after his debut, the striker scored his first goal for the club and shed light on a text exchange with the former Newcastle superstar about the No. 9 shirt.
"It means a lot to me," Wissa told BBC Radio Newcastle after scoring against Fulham in December. "I received a text message from him [Alan Shearer] before the match, he wished me the best of luck because he knew I was going to start. It is something special. I know the number nine shirt is the best one here, so I just need to enjoy that. There is pressure that comes with it, but it is a privilege."
Now, Shearer will be in the commentary booth as Wissa attempts to add to his World Cup goals tally against Thomas Tuchel's England, who are eyeing a date with Mexico in the round of 16.
