Their 2026 World Cup
Match by match
M. Elia played 2 matches for DR Congo, always off the bench.
| Round | Match | His game |
|---|---|---|
| Group K | vs Uzbekistan 3-1 | Came on in the 72′ · 1 assist |
| Round of 32 | vs England 1-2 | Came on in the 64′ |
Biography
Meschak Elia Lina (born 6 August 1997) is a Congolese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Süper Lig club Alanyaspor and the DR Congo national team. He received the best player award after him and his team's win in the 2016 African Nations Championship.
Club career In July 2019 it was announced that Elia would sign for Belgian First Division A club Anderlecht. He, however, disappeared and allegedly falsified his year of birth, which resulted in a 12-month ban by the Congolese Association Football Federation. In February 2020, FIFA "provisionally cleared" Elia to play again and he signed for Swiss Super League side BSC Young Boys. On 3 February 2025, Elia joined Nantes in France on loan with an option to buy. On 12 September 2025, he transferred to Turkey, joining Alanyaspor in the Süper Lig on a three-year deal. He thus departs Young Boys after making exactly 200 appearances for the club, scoring 43 goals and supplying 39 assists.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) · text adapted from the article.
Tournament data from API-Football. See more rankings on the World Cup data hub.
Photo: MONUSCO Photos · Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)