Cody Gakpo and partner mourn loss of baby son Elijah during pregnancy

Cody Gakpo and his partner Noa van der Bij have announced the death of their unborn son, Elijah Raphael Gakpo, after suffering a miscarriage. The Liverpool forward and Van der Bij had confirmed in May that they were expecting their second child together, due in October.

Van der Bij broke the news in a series of Instagram stories on Saturday. “With broken hearts, we share the devastating news that our baby boy passed away during pregnancy,” she wrote. “Thank you for your love and support. Elijah Raphael Gakpo — Forever loved. Forever our son.”

The statement also described a poignant moment the family experienced after visiting a church to light a candle. “Afterward, we walked to the church playground with our son Samuel,” Van der Bij wrote. “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.”

Gakpo, 27, is currently on international duty with the Netherlands at the World Cup, while Van der Bij had been in the United States to support him. The couple’s first son, Samuel, was born in 2024. Van der Bij had posted photographs to social media throughout the summer, including images from Texas and during the Netherlands’ opening World Cup match against Japan.

It remains unclear precisely when the loss occurred.

Liverpool supporters responded with an outpouring of condolences across social media. One widely shared post on X, viewed more than 213,000 times, read: “Sending our thoughts, love and condolences to Cody Gakpo and his family following the heartbreaking news of the loss of their baby boy. YNWA.” Another supporter wrote: “No words for this. Just so, so sorry for Cody and his family. This is the kind of pain that puts everything else into perspective. We’re with you, Cody. All the love in the world. Take all the time you need. YNWA.”