Cody Gakpo ranks his eight goals at major tournaments from 1-8

Cody Gakpo has scored twice against Sweden, putting him on seven and eight goals at major tournaments for Oranje. The PSV and Liverpool forward is closing in on Dennis Bergkamp’s all-time record of 10 goals at World Cups and European Championships. Gakpo, who has played five years for Oranje, made his seventh and eighth tournament goals in the same match. He spoke to the media about ranking his goals from one to eight, with the two against Sweden placed at the bottom of the list. “Which goal at the bottom is easy. Austria is the only match in the list with a loss,” Gakpo said. He added that the 4-0 against Sweden featured a long attack ending in a short-angle shot. “We have only just started the World Cup. We want to achieve much more as a team.” Gakpo acknowledged John Rep’s record of seven World Cup goals for Oranje, saying he was aware of it. “Can I break his record quickly? Haha. The focus is only on winning,” he said. The Netherlands beat Sweden 3-0 after half-time, giving them a buffer.

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He described the intensity of facing European opponents differently from South American teams like Ecuador and Argentina. “I have Ghanaian roots. It would be special to play Togo, but I didn’t feel extra against Senegal in 2022 because of my African roots,” Gakpo said. Gakpo scored his first tournament goal against Senegal in 2022, a header from a Frenkie de Jong pass. “I still have the shirt. I don’t know where it is, but I’d have to ask my father,” he said. He ranked the goal against Romania highest, as it was the first in a knockout-stage match.

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Against Poland, Gakpo placed his goal fourth. “It was the opener of a tournament. You need to start well at Euros and World Cups,” he said. Wout Weghorst later scored the winner in a 2-1 victory. Gakpo has scored 21 of his 23 goals for Oranje in official matches. He noted that his only goal in a friendly came against Algeria, with two penalties. “I don’t play many friendlies with Oranje anymore. The Nations League replaces most of that,” Gakpo said. He trains penalties regularly, calling them important despite the difficulty of simulating match pressure. Gakpo scored his first World Cup goal in the opening match of the 2022 tournament, a left-footed long-range effort. “I usually score with my right, often after a dribble inside. But being able to score with my left makes you unpredictable,” he said.