FIFA World Cup 2026: Netherlands' Gakpo emotional celebration remembering unborn child after scoring against Morocco
Guadalape, June 30
Netherlands star Cody Gakpo had an emotional outing against Morocco in the round of 32 of the ongoing FIFA World Cup, pointing to the heavens in memory of his unborn son after scoring the opening goal.
On Monday, Gakpo featured in the match despite a huge personal loss. He and his partner, Noa van der Bij, suffered the loss of their unborn child during pregnancy.
After he scored the goal, Gakpo bowed down his head on the pitch, overwhelmed by emotions, with his teammates coming to cheer him up and congratulate him. After scoring, he was seen pointing his finger towards the heavens, in remembrance of his unborn child.
Gakpo became his team's second-highest all-time FIFA World Cup scorer, registering a goal during his side's loss to Morocco at Mexico.
After a long stalemate, it was a strike from Gakpo which put the Netherlands in front. The goal held a lot of emotional value to Gakpo, as he was playing in the match despite personal loss, with him and his partner, Noa van der Bij, suffering the loss of their unborn child during pregnancy.
Now, Gakpo has six FIFA World Cup goals, tied with legends Dennis Bergkamp, Wesley Sneijder, Rob Rensenbrink, Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie.
The all-time leading goal-scorer for the Netherlands in the FIFA World Cup is Johnny Rep with seven. Gakpo's heriocs however were not enough to save his side from elimination as they went down to Morocco in penalties.
African giants Morocco kept their FIFA World Cup 2026 dream alive with a thrilling 3-2 penalty shootout victory over the Netherlands after the sides were locked at 1-1 following extra time in a gripping Round of 32 encounter on Monday (local time).
After a tightly contested first half with few clear-cut chances, the breakthrough finally arrived in the 72nd minute.
The Netherlands appeared set to progress until Morocco produced a dramatic response in stoppage time. In the 91st minute, Chemsdine Talbi delivered a teasing cross into the penalty area, where Issa Diop rose highest to power a header past the goalkeeper and level the score at 1-1, silencing the Dutch supporters.
The equaliser shifted the momentum in Morocco's favour, but neither side managed to create a decisive opportunity during the additional 30 minutes of extra time. Both teams remained disciplined defensively, forcing the contest to be settled by penalties.
The shootout proved to be a tense affair. Players from both teams missed two penalties each, while Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou once again demonstrated his penalty-saving reputation by correctly diving to deny Crysencio Summerville.
With the scores level, Ismael Saibari stepped up to take Morocco's decisive penalty and calmly converted, sealing a 3-2 shootout victory and sparking jubilant celebrations among the Moroccan players and fans.
The contest was one of the highest-quality ties of the Round of 32, with Morocco entering the tournament ranked sixth in the FIFA World Rankings and the Netherlands seventh. It was also only the second match of the tournament to be decided by a penalty shootout after Paraguay eliminated Germany earlier on Monday.
Morocco will now face Canada in the first Round of 16 fixture at NRG Stadium on Saturday (local time), as they continue their historic run in the ongoing FIFA World Cup.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As a mom, this hit me hard. Can't imagine the pain he and his partner went through. Football is more than just a game, it shows the human side of athletes. Also, huge respect for Morocco - they've been playing like champions! 🇲🇦
Gakpo is a legend in the making - six World Cup goals already at his age, tied with Dutch greats like Bergkamp and van Persie. But honestly, the Netherlands should have won that match. Morocco's equalizer in stoppage time was lucky, and the penalty shootout was chaotic. Both teams missed two penalties each, which is amateur level for a World Cup knockout game. Summerville should've done better.
This story hits differently. The way Gakpo played with such emotion - you could see his heart wasn't fully in the celebration, it was more of a tribute. And his teammates rushing to comfort him shows the beautiful brotherhood in football. Morocco deserved the win though, their penalty shootout record is insane! Bounou is a wall. 🧱
Hats off to Gakpo for his professionalism. But let's be real - the Netherlands choked again. They always seem to have talented players but lack that killer instinct in big moments. Morocco was the better team over 120 minutes anyway. As an Indian football fan, it's great to see African teams doing well. Hope Morocco goes all the way! 🇲🇦🔥
Truly heartbreaking for Gakpo. Losing a child is unimaginable, and to then go out and perform on the world stage shows incredible mental strength
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