Cody Gakpo's partner pays emotional tribute after World Cup goal and family tragedy

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Liverpool FC NewsFeaturesCody GakpoCody Gakpo’s partner Noa van der Bij shared an emotional tribute after the Liverpool star scored against Morocco in the World Cup days after the death of their unborn sonCody Gakpo scored against Morocco days after him and his partner Noa van der Bij announced the death of their unborn son(Image: Getty Images)Cody Gakpo’s partner has shared an emotional tribute on social media after the Netherlands forward scored in the World Cup days after the tragic death of their unborn son.The couple recently shared devastating news that their second child had passed away during pregnancy. His teammates rushed to comfort him, with players from both the pitch and the bench offering support during a deeply emotional moment in the match.Noa took to Instagram to pay tribute to her partner, resharing an image of Gakpo’s celebration as he pointed to the sky following his goal.

Alongside the post, she added an orange heart and praying hands emoji, writing simply: “So proud.”Gakpo’s goal came just days after Noa confirmed the tragic news that their child, whom they had named Elijah, had died during pregnancy. Elijah Raphael Gakpo, forever loved, forever our son.”In a separate post, Gakpo said: "This is an incredibly difficult time for our family.

Thank you for your understanding."The revelation prompted an overwhelming wave of sympathy for Gakpo and his family, though the Liverpool forward had already confirmed he was ready to feature for Ronald Koeman’s side against Morocco at Estadio Monterrey on Monday.Noa van der Bij paid tribute to Gakpo's goal(Image: noavdbij/Instagram)"Being there for Cody is the most important thing," Virgil van Dijk told a press conference on Sunday. I have a lot of respect for how he, but also Noa and his family, have handled this."Gakpo’s goal appeared to have secured the Netherlands a place in the World Cup last 16, but Morocco struck back in stoppage time through Issa Diop to level the match and force penalties.