Cody Gakpo was reduced to tears after scoring the opening goal for the Netherlands against Morocco at the World Cup – just days after revealing that his partner suffered a miscarriage.
The Liverpool winger divulged at the end of May that he and his partner Noa van der Bij were expecting their second child.
But in a heartbreaking development, Gakpo’s girlfriend Noa van der Bij revealed over the weekend that she suffered a miscarriage, with the couple’s baby boy – named Elijah – passing away.
Gakpo started for the Dutch in the last-32 tie in Monterrey on Monday and struck home the opener late in the second-half and immediately welled up while kneeling on the floor.
The 27-year-old was immediately consoled by his teammates on the pitch before Gakpo raised his arms to the air in tribute to his unborn second child.
Gakpo’s partner Van der Bij wrote on Instagram over the weekend: “With broken hearts, we share the devastating news that our baby boy passed away during pregnancy,” she wrote on Instagram.
“Thank you for your love and support. Elijah Raphael Gakpo. Forever loved. Forever our son.
“We went to church to light a candle. Afterward, we walked to the church playground with our son Samuel. There was only one other child there. His name was Elijah.
“There could not have been a more beautiful sign from God. He reminded us that our little boy is never far away.”
Van der Bij was in the stands to support Gakpo for the Netherlands’ World Cup opener against Japan two weeks ago, which ended 2-2.
Gakpo has been instrumental for his country at this summer’s tournament; as well as Monday’s winner, he scored twice and notched an assist in their 5-1 win over Sweden.
Gakpo’s strike, his third of this tournament and sixth in his World Cup career, is the second-most in Netherlands history, one behind Johnny Rep, with the former Ajax and Valencia forward scoring seven goals across the 1974 and 1978 World Cups.
The Netherlands or Morocco will face Canada in the last-16 in Houston on Saturday.
