Cody Gakpo produced one of the most emotional moments of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the Netherlands forward broke down in tears after scoring against Morocco in the Round of 32, just days after the tragic loss of his unborn child.

According to Sportbible, Gakpo’s celebration was a deeply personal tribute following the heartbreaking news that he and his partner, Noa van der Bij, had lost their baby during pregnancy.

The Liverpool forward gave the Netherlands the lead with a composed finish after being set up by Crysencio Summerville. Instead of celebrating wildly, Gakpo fell to his knees in tears before pointing to the sky, with his teammates immediately surrounding him in an emotional show of support.

Gakpo joins Dutch World Cup greats

Beyond the emotional significance, the goal also secured Gakpo another place in Dutch football history. It was his sixth World Cup goal, moving him level with some of the Netherlands’ greatest-ever players on the country’s all-time World Cup scoring list:

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• Wesley Sneijder

• Arjen Robben

• Dennis Bergkamp

• Rob Rensenbrink

• Robin van Persie

Only Johnny Rep, with seven World Cup goals, has scored more for the Netherlands.

Van Dijk and Koeman praise Gakpo

Gakpo’s decision to remain with the Dutch squad despite his family’s devastating loss drew praise from captain Virgil van Dijk and head coach Ronald Koeman.

“The most important thing is to ask: ‘What do you need?’ It’s awful news, and it shows that football is secondary. There are more important things in life,” 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 for the Netherlands, and that’s where the focus lies right now.”

Koeman also praised the forward’s strength and maturity.

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“He dealt with it very well; there was never a moment when he said, ‘I want to go back, I want to be with the family’,” Koeman explained. “That was the way he took it and the way he approached it, and that shows his maturity.”

As Sportbible highlighted, Gakpo had previously shared his heartbreak publicly on social media, making his emotional goal celebration one of the most touching moments of the tournament so far.

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