Cody Gakpo broke down in tears after scoring for the Netherlands against Morocco at the World Cup just days after he and his partner suffered a miscarriage.
The Liverpool forward broke the deadlock in the last-32 tie in Monterrey, firing home from close range after good work from Crysencio Summerville.
But, amid chaotic celebrations around him, an emotional Gakpo fell to his knees and put his hands over his head. He was instantly mobbed by his teammates, who gathered around and consoled him.
When Gakpo eventually made it back to his feet, he looked visibly upset and buried his head underneath his shirt to wipe away his tears.
Morocco eventually forced their way back into the game thanks to Issa Diop’s bullet header in stoppage time.
The game went to penalties and misses by Justin Kluivert, Quinten Timber and Summerville proved costly for Ronald Koeman’s team. Ismael Saibari struck the winning spot kick for Morocco.
Cody Gakpo broke down in tears after scoring the opener for the Netherlands against Morocco
The Liverpool forward was mobbed by his Dutch teammates in emotional scenes in Mexico
An emotional Gakpo looked to the sky and blew a kiss after a difficult few days for his family
Morocco eventually progressed on penalties after three Dutch stars missed their spot kicks
Gakpo and his partner, Noa van der Bij, announced on Sunday that they suffered a miscarriage
Van der Bij confirmed the heartbreaking news on Instagram on Saturday
Gakpo’s partner, Noa van der Bij, announced the tragic news in a heartbreaking Instagram post on Saturday.
She wrote on social media: ‘With broken hearts, we share that our little boy passed away during pregnancy. Thank you for all the support.’
Noa, who shares a son, Samuel, with Gakpo, added: ‘We went to church together and lit a candle. Afterwards, we went to the playground with our son Samuel.
‘There was another child there and his name was Elijah. There could not have been a more beautiful sign from God.’
The 27-year-old striker revealed just four weeks ago that he and Noa were expecting their second son.
Gakpo posted: ‘This is an incredibly difficult time for our family. We kindly ask for our privacy and space. Thank you for your understanding.’
The Dutch federation said in a statement: ‘First of all, we sympathise with Cody and his family, Noa and their son Samuel. This is a very sad private situation.
‘Naturally, we were already aware of this, and the KNVB is trying to support the family where possible. Cody has decided, in consultation with his girlfriend, to remain with the group.
‘We respect their privacy and therefore will not comment further on the situation, including the way in which we are trying to be there for them. We will also not provide any further information on this in the near future. If anything is shared about this, it is up to the family themselves.’
