Overview
- Noa van der Bij posted on Instagram that her and Cody Gakpo’s baby died during the pregnancy and the couple said they would have named him Elijah Raphael Gakpo.
- Cody Gakpo shared his partner’s post and both asked for space and privacy while describing the loss as an incredibly difficult moment for their family.
- The public announcement came days before the Netherlands’ round-of-16 match at the 2026 World Cup, drawing attention because Gakpo is an active member of the national team.
- Dutch team staff and teammates have expressed support for Gakpo and the squad has said it will respect any choice he makes about participation in the tournament.
- The couple’s use of social media as their primary channel made their posts the authoritative source for the news and underscores how players’ personal lives can become public during major sports events.