Cody Gakpo opened the scoring for the Netherlands in their World Cup last 32 match against Morocco, a moment that visibly moved the winger, who was seen in tears shortly after finding the net. The goal came just days after Gakpo and his partner reportedly suffered a miscarriage.
The fixture, played on June 29, 2026, at Estadio Monterrey in Guadalupe, Mexico, saw a feisty encounter between the two nations. Early in the match, Netherlands player Jan Paul van Hecke was left bleeding from a head injury after a clash with an opposing player. He received medical attention on the field.
The match was part of the last 32 stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Later in the game, Achraf Hakimi of Morocco was challenged by Micky van de Ven of the Netherlands. The match also saw other physical confrontations, including Neil El Aynaoui of Morocco being tackled by Jan-Paul van Hecke of the Netherlands. Refereeing decisions were also a point of contention, with a yellow card shown to Morocco's Issa Diop. The game was a dynamic contest with moments of both skillful play and intense physical engagement between the teams.