Cody Gakpo in tears and embraced by Netherlands teammates as he scores after family ordeal
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Liverpool FC NewsFeaturesCody GakpoLiverpool winger Cody Gakpo broke down on the pitch with his teammates after scoring against Morocco in the World Cup following the tragic death of his unborn childCody Gakpo was emotional after scoring for the Netherlands in the Round-of-32 clash against Morocco(Image: FIFA/FOX)Noa van der Bij, the partner of Dutch and Liverpool winger Cody Gakpo, posted on her Instagram last week, confirming that the couple lost their unborn son during pregnancy.Gakpo was extremely emotional when he scored against Morocco in the 71st minute on Monday, immediately falling to the ground in tears, and his teammates — both on the pitch and from the bench — ran over to support him.Gakpo was given permission to travel home and spend time with family. The Dutch winger remained on the ground, sobbing, as his teammates ran over to show their support.Unfortunately for Gakpo, his goal was canceled out by Issa Diop's late goal — before the Netherlands fell on penalties, marking the nation's earliest World Cup exit in history.Koeman spoke about Gakpo at length during his pre-match press conference.
“It was very sad news that we learned and that Cody and his family learned,” Koeman told reporters.Cody Gakpo remained on the ground after scoring for the Netherlands(Image: Getty Images)“We have done what was within our power in terms of support, as players, as staff. He dealt with it very well, there was never a moment where he said ‘I want to go back, I want to be with the family."Gakpo, 27, is now up to 10 goals (six at the World Cup, four at the Euros) for the Netherlands at major tournaments, just one off the nation's all-time record.Virgil van Dijk was one of the many Dutch players to comfort Cody Gakpo after his goal vs Morocco(Image: Getty Images)Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk, Gakpo's teammate at Liverpool since 2023, also offered words of support for the grieving pregame."It’s awful news, and it shows that football is secondary," Van Dijk said.
It’s very sad, but Cody deals with it, and he’s keen to go to the next round. He’ll do whatever he can (to help the Netherlands progress), that’s where the focus lies right now."Gakpo is coming off a down season in a turbulent Liverpool team that sacked coach Arne Slot, who often defended the lanky Dutch winger.The 27-year-old is one of three Reds in the Dutch team alongside Van Dijk and Ryan Gravenberch, who started in central midfield for the Netherlands on Monday.Choose Liverpool.com as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.FIFA World CupCody Gakpo