Cody Gakpo ranks Romania Euro 2024 strike as most important

Cody Gakpo told the Algemeen Dagblad that his goal against Romania in the Euro 2024 round of 16 is the most important he has scored for the Netherlands, while he still regards his left‑foot long‑range strike versus Ecuador at the 2022 World Cup as his most beautiful. Gakpo's tally for the Dutch national team now stands at 23 goals, of which 21 have come in official competitions. He notes that the limited number of friendlies he has played is due to the Nations League largely replacing such matches. At the 2022 World Cup, Gakpo found the net three times in the first three matches, including the noted strike against Ecuador. He described the Ecuador goal as a precise left‑footed shot from distance, which he considers his most beautiful in the ranking.

Netherlands hammer Sweden 5-1 to set World Cup record

He said, "This is my most beautiful goal in this ranking, made with a left‑footed long‑range shot." Gakpo hopes to produce more such strikes, noting that variation makes him less predictable. He explained that his Romania goal came from the wing, where he cut inside and fired with his right foot into the near corner, marking his first knockout‑stage goal in a major tournament. Gakpo added, "I was torn between this goal and the one against Senegal at the World Cup. The decisive factor is that this is my first knockout‑stage goal in a tournament." The Eindhoven‑born forward wears the number 9 shirt for the Netherlands. He expressed hope that Romania will be the start of more decisive goals in future all‑or‑nothing matches. Fans can follow further analysis on Studio Oranje.