Some news just stops you mid-scroll.
This is one of them.
Cody Gakpo, Liverpool's star forward, is at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Scoring goals. Lifting his country. Living the dream millions chase.
And quietly… carrying the unimaginable.
His partner, Noa van der Bij, shared a photo.
Two hands. A blanket. A tiny knitted baby hat.
And then the words no parent should ever have to write:
"With broken hearts, we share the devastating news that our baby boy passed away during pregnancy."
His name was Elijah Raphael Gakpo.
Forever loved. Forever their son.
Days later, Noa shared another moment.
She went to church with their little boy, Samuel, to light a candle.
Then walked over to the church playground.
Only one other child was there.
His name?
Elijah.
"There could not have been a more beautiful sign from God," she wrote.
The couple announced the pregnancy at the end of May.
The baby was due in October.
Noa had even flown out to cheer Cody on against Japan.
And through it all — Gakpo kept playing.
Football's cruelest gift: the show must go on.
No statement. No interview. No spotlight.
Just one quiet line from Cody:
"This is an incredibly difficult time for our family. We kindly ask for our privacy and space."
That's it.
We see the jerseys. The goals. The roaring crowds.
We forget there's a human underneath.
A husband. A father. A man grieving a son he'll never get to hold — while a billion people watch his every touch on the ball.
On Tuesday, the Netherlands face Morocco in the Round of 32 in Monterrey.
Gakpo is expected to play.
And whatever happens on that pitch — every sprint, every shot, every quiet moment before kickoff — will carry the weight of a name the world now knows.
Elijah Raphael Gakpo.
Forever loved.
Forever his son.
That's all for now!
