Cody Gakpo and partner announce loss of unborn son ahead of World Cup match

Noa van der Bij shared the news on Instagram, stating, "It is with broken hearts that we announce that our little boy passed away during pregnancy. Thank you for your love and support. Elijah Raphael Gakpo, loved forever, our son forever."

She also described a moment of reflection in the United States, where she is with Gakpo during the competition, mentioning lighting a candle in church and later encountering a child named Elijah at a playground. Despite this personal tragedy, Cody Gakpo is expected to remain with the Netherlands squad for the remainder of the World Cup. He has had a strong start to the tournament, scoring two goals and providing one assist in three group stage matches.

The Netherlands is scheduled to play Morocco in the round of 16 on Monday night into Tuesday morning in Monterrey, with kickoff at 1 AM GMT, Senegal time.