Overview
- Gakpo's partner, Noa van der Bij, announced the death of their unborn child late last week and said the couple had chosen the name Elijah Raphael Gakpo.
- The Royal Dutch Football Association issued a formal statement offering full support to Gakpo and asked the public and media to respect the family's privacy.
- After discussing the situation with his partner, Gakpo decided to remain with the Netherlands squad and coach Ronald Koeman confirmed he was available for the knockout match.
- In the round-of-16 in Monterrey, Gakpo opened the scoring, became visibly emotional on the pitch and was comforted by teammates before the game finished 1-1 and the Netherlands were eliminated on penalties.
- Gakpo’s choice to play under intense personal strain underscored his central role for the team and leaves attention on how he and his family will balance privacy, recovery, and his return to club duties at Liverpool.