On Saturday, Cody Gapko and his partner Noa van de Bij announced the tragic loss of thier unborn child. “With broken hearts, we share the devastating news that our baby boy has passed away during pregnancy,” Bij wrote. On Monday, Gakpo played in the Round of 32 and scored an emotional goal in regulation time in the Netherlands’ penalty shootout loss to Morocco at the World Cup. His partner couldn’t be prouder of his achievement during their time of adversity.

Cody Gakpo’s partner, Noa van de Bij, took to social media to react to her husband scoring the goal. Reposting the Netherlands National team’s Instagram post dedicated to Cody Gakpo and wrote, “🙏🧡 so proud.”

Gakpo was available from the start against Morocco for their Round of 32 clash. The Liverpool star scored in the 72nd minute, briefly putting the Netherlands ahead. He was visibly emotional after the goal and covered his face with his shirt. The entire Netherlands team rushed to Gakpo to embrace him while celebrating.

After his son’s passing, Cody Gakpo took to his Instagram and requested privacy during this tragic time. “This is an incredibly difficult time for our family. We kindly ask for privacy and space. Thank you for understanding,” Gakpo wrote.

Gakpo and Noa share a son, Samuel, who was born in April 2025. The couple began dating in 2020 and were constantly cheering each other on social media. Van de Bij, a former Dutch model, moved to Liverpool when he signed for Liverpool in 2023. The couple had announced on Instagram in May that they were expecting a second child, before tragedy struck.

“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,” Noa posted on Instagram with a photo of a candle and cross.

Cody Gakpo decided to play through grief

Cody Gakpo was in scintillating form for the Netherlands at the World Cup. With two goals and an assist in the group stages, he played a crucial role in the Dutch winning the group. Even after learning of the tragic news, he decided to stay in North America and play for the national team, and the team was ready to support him in every way.

“First and foremost, our thoughts are with Cody and his family, Noa, and their son Samuel. This is a very sad, private situation,” a statement from the KNVB (Dutch Football Association) read, as per People.

“This is a very sad, private situation. We were, of course, already aware of what had happened, and we are supporting the family wherever we can. After discussing the situation with his partner, Cody has decided to remain with the team. We respect their privacy and will therefore not comment further on the situation, including the ways in which we are supporting them,” they wrote.

During the Round of 32, Gakpo played 113 minutes against Morocco. Unfortunately for the Netherlands, his goal wasn’t enough to take them ahead as Morocco equalized late in the game and forced extra time before triumphing on penalties.

The Dutch star will travel to the Netherlands to reunite with his partner as his team heads home after an early exit.