Dutch footballer (born 1999)
Cody Mathès Gakpo (born 7 May 1999) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a forward ⚾️ or attacking midfielder for Premier League club Liverpool and the Netherlands national team.
A PSV academy graduate, Gakpo made his first-team ⚾️ debut in February 2024. In the 2024–22 season, he won the Dutch Footballer of the Year award after scoring 21 ⚾️ goals in 47 games in all competitions. He signed for Liverpool in January 2024.
Gakpo played youth international football for the ⚾️ Netherlands from under-18 to under-21 level. He made his senior international debut in June 2024 at UEFA Euro 2024.
Early life ⚾️ and youth [ edit ]
Cody Mathès Gakpo[2] was born on 7 May 1999[1] in Eindhoven and raised in the district ⚾️ of Stratum.[3] His father was born in Togo and has Ghanaian ancestry, while his mother is Dutch.[4][5][6] In 2007, he ⚾️ moved to the youth academy of PSV, where he then progressed through all of the youth teams.[4]
Club career [ edit ⚾️ ]
PSV [ edit ]
For the 2024–17 season Gakpo was part of the reserve team Jong PSV for the first time, ⚾️ but mainly featured in the U19 team. Gakpo made his professional debut in the Eerste Divisie for Jong PSV on ⚾️ 4 November 2024 in a game against Helmond Sport.[7] In the rest of the season he only made one more ⚾️ appearance for Jong PSV. After his production increased in the following season's U19 Eredivisie with seven goals and five assists ⚾️ in 13 league games, he was finally promoted to the reserves at the turn of the year. In his second ⚾️ appearance in the second-tier Eerste Divisie, on 19 January 2024 in a 3–2 away win against De Graafschap, he scored ⚾️ a brace and made the assist for the third goal of his team.[8] For Jong PSV, he managed to score ⚾️ seven goals in the 2024–18 season, which he achieved in 12 league games.[9]
First team [ edit ]
Gakpo made his first ⚾️ team debut for PSV as an injury-time substitute in a 3–1 victory over Feyenoord on 25 February 2024.[10] In the ⚾️ 2024–19 season, Gakpo was able to further improve his performances. This was also noticed by first team coach, Mark van ⚾️ Bommel. He was selected several times for the matchday squad of the first team in the first half of the ⚾️ season. He would initially, however, remain an unused substitute.[9] In the 5–1 home win against the Go Ahead Eagles on ⚾️ 3 December 2024, he scored the first hat-trick of his professional career.[11] After he scored a goal and got an ⚾️ assist in the 5–2 home win against Almere City on 21 December,[12] he made his debut in the Eredivisie just ⚾️ one day later. In the 3–1 home win against AZ, he was substituted on for Steven Bergwijn in the closing ⚾️ stages.[13] He scored nine goals in ten league games for Jong PSV by the end of the year and was ⚾️ subsequently promoted to become a regular member of the first team.[9] On 3 February 2024, he scored his first league ⚾️ goal in his second appearance in a 5–0 home win over Fortuna Sittard and also assisted another goal.[14] By the ⚾️ end of the season he made 14 league appearances, but without being able to record another goal.[9]
In the 2024–20 season, ⚾️ he made his breakthrough in the Eredivisie and recorded seven goals and as many assists in 25 league games.[9]
On 13 ⚾️ September 2024, the first matchday of the 2024–21 Eredivisie season, Gakpo scored his first brace for PSV, contributing to a ⚾️ 3–1 win over Groningen.[15] He scored another brace on 24 September in the 5–1 victory in the UEFA Europa League ⚾️ qualifier against NŠ Mura, allowing PSV to qualify for the play-off round.[16] He was again decisive there, on scoring PSV's ⚾️ second goal in a 2–0 win over Rosenborg on 1 October.[17] He finished the season with 29 appearances, in which ⚾️ he scored 11 goals.[9]
Gakpo scored the winning goal for PSV in a 2–1 win over Ajax in the 2024 KNVB ⚾️ Cup Final.[18] On 31 August 2024, he scored his first hat-trick in a 7–1 win over Volendam.[19]
Liverpool [ edit ]
On ⚾️ 28 December 2024, Gakpo agreed to sign for Premier League club Liverpool once the transfer window opened on 1 January ⚾️ 2024.[20] He was reported by BBC Sport to have agreed a five-and-a-half-year contract, for a transfer fee of between £35.4 ⚾️ to £44.3 million (€40 to €50 million), which would be a record fee received by PSV.[21] He made his debut ⚾️ for the club as a starter in a 2–2 third-round FA Cup tie at Anfield against Wolves on 7 January ⚾️ 2024.[22] Gakpo scored his first goal for Liverpool in a 2–0 Merseyside derby league victory over Everton on 13 February.[23] ⚾️ He scored a brace against Liverpool's arch rivals Manchester United on 5 March 2024 in a 7–0 victory.[24]
International career [ ⚾️ edit ]
Gakpo playing for the Netherlands national under-18 team in 2024
Gakpo was eligible to play for the Netherlands, Ghana or ⚾️ Togo at international level.[25][26] He played youth international football for the Netherlands at under-18,[27] under-19,[28] under-20[29] and under-21 levels.[30]
Gakpo was ⚾️ called up to the senior Netherlands squad for UEFA Euro 2024 and made his debut in the third match of ⚾️ the group stage against North Macedonia as a substitute in the 79th minute for Frenkie de Jong.[31] Thereby, he became ⚾️ the first Netherlands player to make his international debut at a European Championship since Martien Vreijsen in 1980.[32]
On 1 September ⚾️ 2024, Gakpo made his first start for the Netherlands in a 2024 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Norway,[33] and scored ⚾️ his first senior international goal three days later in a 4–0 win over Montenegro.[34]
Gakpo was named in the squad for ⚾️ the 2024 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and had an immediate impact, scoring in three consecutive group matches against Senegal,[35] ⚾️ Ecuador,[36] and Qatar.[37]
Style of play [ edit ]
Usually deployed on the left wing, Gakpo often cuts inside on his right ⚾️ foot to move to a more central attacking position, and uses his speed and dribbling skills to take on defenders ⚾️ until he finds the space to make an attempt on goal.[3]
Personal life [ edit ]
Gakpo is a Christian.[citation needed] He ⚾️ has said, "I try to read the Bible every day, I pray every day, I like to go to church, ⚾️ and I read many books about the faith".[38] During the 2024 FIFA World Cup, along with Memphis Depay, he led ⚾️ a Bible study for fifteen other Dutch teammates.[39]
Career statistics [ edit ]
Club [ edit ]
As of match played 1 January ⚾️ 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Europe Other Total Division Apps ⚾️ Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Jong PSV 2024–17[1] Eerste Divisie 2 0 — — ⚾️ — — 2 0 2024–18[1] Eerste Divisie 13 7 — — — — 13 7 2024–19[1] Eerste Divisie 11 10 ⚾️ — — — — 11 10 Total 26 17 — — — — 26 17 PSV 2024–18[1] Eredivisie 1 0 ⚾️ 0 0 — 0 0 — 1 0 2024–19[1] Eredivisie 16 1 2 1 — 1[c] 0 0 0 19 ⚾️ 2 2024–20[1] Eredivisie 25 7 2 0 — 11[d] 1 1[e] 0 39 8 2024–21[1] Eredivisie 23 7 1 0 ⚾️ — 5[f] 4 — 29 11 2024–22[1] Eredivisie 27 12 4 2 — 15[g] 7 1[e] 0 47 21 2024–23[1] ⚾️ Eredivisie 14 9 0 0 — 9[h] 3 1[e] 1 24 13 Total 106 36 9 3 — 41 15 ⚾️ 3 1 159 55 Liverpool 2024–23[40] Premier League 21 7 3 0 — 2[c] 0 — 26 7 2024–24[41] Premier ⚾️ League 18 3 0 0 3 3 4[f] 2 — 25 8 Total 39 10 3 0 3 3 6 ⚾️ 2 — 51 15 Career total 171 63 12 3 3 3 47 17 3 1 236 87
International [ edit ⚾️ ]
As of match played 19 November 2024[42]
Appearances and goals by national team and year National team Year Apps Goals Netherlands ⚾️ 2024 4 1 2024 10 5 2024 7 3 Total 21 9
As of match played 19 November 2024 Scores and ⚾️ results list the Netherlands' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Gakpo goal[42]
Honours [ edit ]
PSV
Individual
