Wissa scores Congo's historic goal, five years after surviving acid attack
Yoane Wissa scored the first goal in the Democratic Republic of Congo's World Cup history, equalising against Portugal in Houston with a header five minutes into the second half.
The 29-year-old Newcastle United striker capitalised on a corner, directing the ball into the net with his head to mark a historic moment as Congo returned to the world stage after a 52-year absence. The goal came as an equaliser, after Joao Neves had opened the scoring for Portugal in the sixth minute.
Celebrations erupted both in the stadium and on social media, where videos of Portuguese and Congolese fans marking the occasion together spread rapidly.
Five years after the acid attack
Few people know that this moment might never have come. On 1 July 2021, Wissa opened his front door to find a woman who had attempted to abduct his daughter. The woman threw acid in his face, causing severe chemical burns and forcing him to undergo emergency eye surgery.
It took him six months to recover from his physical injuries, after which Wissa resumed his career at FC Lorient in France with renewed determination. The perpetrator was sentenced to 18 years in prison in January 2025.
- The first goal ever scored by DR Congo in World Cup history
- Scored against Portugal, one of the tournament's leading favourites
- Wissa played bearing the scars of an acid attack sustained five years earlier
From the operating table to a landmark stage in Houston, the story of Yoane Wissa is one that the 2026 World Cup will long remember.
