Days after death of unborn son, Cody Gakpo scores opening goal for Netherlands vs Morocco

1 min readJun 30, 2026 08:26 AM IST

Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo was overcome by emotion as he struck the opening goal in the 76th minute of the World Cup Round of 32 clash against Morocco, just two days after he and his partner lost their unborn son during pregnancy.

“With broken hearts, we share the devastating news that our baby boy passed away during pregnancy,” Gakpo’s partner, Noa van der Bij, wrote on her Instagram Story on Saturday, with a photo of the couple holding hands on top of a blanket and knit hat.

The 27-year-old Gakpo broke the deadlock in the 72nd minute of the fourth knockout match played at the Monterrey Stadium in Mexico. Emotional, he sank his head to the ground and remained for a few moments before being joined by his teammates.