Newcastle news: Will Elanga and Wissa excel after World Cup?

At the 2026 World Cup, Anthony Elanga and Yoanne Wissa have looked a little more like the players who first grabbed Newcastle's attention at Nottingham Forest and Brentford respectively.

They even ended up scoring as many goals (five) combined at the tournament as they did during their first campaigns at Newcastle last season.

It's always dangerous to read too much into performances at a World Cup, but can Elanga and Wissa take this renewed confidence back to Tyneside?

Sweden bowed out in the last-32 following a 3-0 defeat against France, but Elanga emerged with some credit, with the tournament offering a glimpse of what the rapid forward can provide.

"He's the kind of player that can change a game," former Newcastle and Sweden team-mate Emil Krafth said.

Elanga showed that at Forest, but clearly found it a challenge adapting to a new detailed system at Newcastle, even after a full pre-season.

There were flashes of the player he can be.

There was a double in the Nou Camp in the Champions League knockout stages.

He caused Liverpool and Barcelona's defences real problems with his pace in games at St James' Park, only for a team-mate to fail to put away his crosses.

It did not consistently come together, though, not least when Newcastle faced low blocks, and there were some bruising moments following his £55m move.

But the Swede is not about to give up.

"He's not got the mental capacity to allow himself to fail," a source close to Elanga said.

"I think the second season for Anthony is going to be different.

"He knows what he's going to come into. He's a bit more prepared and knows what the manager wants from him."

Wissa had the worst possible preparation for his first campaign at Newcastle after pushing to leave Brentford and complete a £55m move of his own.

He had a disrupted pre-season and then went on to suffer a knee injury while on international duty with DR Congo before rushing back in an effort to help his side and repay the faith Howe had shown in him.

But the 29-year-old struggled for rhythm, was prone to missing big chances, and a lack of training time ultimately caught up with him during a relentless fixture schedule.

But he certainly looked sharper and leaner going into the World Cup, and he relished the stage.

It was Wissa who scored DR Congo's first ever World Cup goal, a fine header, in a 1-1 draw against Portugal.

Although Wissa missed a couple of chances against Uzbekistan, he went on to bag a double during a man of the match display as his country reached the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time ever with a 3-1 victory.

The striker struck the post against England in the last-32, spurning a huge opportunity to make it 2-0 in a game his side ultimately lost.

But this was still a tournament to remember.

"I didn't show my best face at Newcastle," he admitted during the World Cup. "But I knew that my time would come."

Newcastle will cautiously hope it is a sign of what is to come. Not only for Wissa but Elanga, too.