Cody Mathès Gakpo (born 7 May 1999) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a left winger or centre forward for club Liverpool and the Netherlands national team.
A PSV academy graduate, Gakpo made his first-team debut in February 2018. In the 2021–22 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 2023.
Gakpo played youth international football for the Netherlands from under-18 to under-21 level. He made his senior international debut in June 2021 at UEFA Euro 2020.
Early life Gakpo was born in Eindhoven and raised in the district of Stratum. His father was born in Togo and has Ghanaian ancestry, while his mother is Dutch. In 2007, he moved to the youth academy of PSV, where he then progressed through all of the youth teams.
Club career PSV For the 2016–17 season, Gakpo was part of the reserve team Jong PSV for the first time but mainly featured in the under-19 team. Gakpo made his professional debut in the Eerste Divisie for Jong PSV on 4 November 2016, in a game against Helmond Sport. For 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 2017, in a 3–2 away win against De Graafschap, he scored a brace and made the assist for the third goal of his team. For Jong PSV, he managed to score seven goals in the 2017–18 season, which he achieved in 12 league games.
First team Gakpo made his first team debut for PSV as an injury-time substitute in a 3–1 victory over Feyenoord on 25 February 2018. In the 2018–19 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. In the 5–1 home win against the Go Ahead Eagles on 3 December 2018, he scored the first hat-trick of his professional career. After he scored a goal and got an assist in the 5–2 home win against Almere City on 21 December, 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. 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. On 3 February 2019, he scored his first league goal in his second appearance in a 5–0 home win over Fortuna Sittard and also assisted another goal. By the end of the season he made 14 league appearances, but without being able to record another goal.
In the 2019–20 season, he made his breakthrough in the Eredivisie and recorded seven goals and as many assists in 25 league games.
On 13 September 2020, the first matchday of the 2020–21 Eredivisie season, Gakpo scored his first brace for PSV, contributing to a 3–1 win over Groningen. 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. He was again decisive there, on scoring PSV's second goal in a 2–0 win over Rosenborg on 1 October. He finished the season with 29 appearances, in which he scored 11 goals.
Gakpo scored the winning goal for PSV in a 2–1 win over Ajax in the 2022 KNVB Cup final. On 31 August 2022, he scored his first hat-trick in a 7–1 win over Volendam.
Liverpool
On 28 December 2022, Gakpo agreed to sign for Premier League club Liverpool once the transfer window opened on 1 January 2023. He was reported by BBC Sport to have agreed a five-and-a-half-year contract, for a transfer fee of between £35.4 and £44.3 million (€40 to €50 million), which would be a record fee received by PSV. He made his debut on 7 January as a starter in a 2–2 home draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup third round. Gakpo scored his first goal for Liverpool in a 2–0 Merseyside derby league victory over Everton on 13 February 2023.
Gakpo won his first trophy with Liverpool in the 2023–24 season, where he was credited with key goals to take the club to its 10th EFL Cup victory as the competition's second-highest goalscorer.
Gakpo scored the equaliser in Liverpool's 2–2 draw with Manchester United on 5 January 2025. During the 2024–25 season, Gakpo played a crucial role in their Premier League title winning season. He scored Liverpool's third in an 5–1 win against Tottenham Hotspur, after which the league title was secured in his first season under new manager and fellow countryman Arne Slot.
On 30 August 2025, Gakpo signed a new long-term contract with Liverpool. A year later, on 31 August, Liverpool rejected an £80 million bid from Manchester City for Gakpo, as they were unable to find a replacement before the end of the transfer window.
International career Youth
Gakpo was eligible to play for the Netherlands, Ghana or Togo at international level. He played youth international football for the Netherlands at under-18, under-19, under-20 and under-21 levels.
Senior Gakpo was called up to the senior Netherlands squad for UEFA Euro 2020 and debuted in the third match of the group stage against North Macedonia as a substitute in the 79th minute for Frenkie de Jong. As a result, he became the first Netherlands player to make his international debut at a European Championship since Martien Vreijsen in 1980.
Gakpo made his first start for the Netherlands in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Norway on 1 September 2021, and scored his first senior international goal three days later in a 4–0 win over Montenegro.
Gakpo was called up to represent the Netherlands at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and had an immediate impact, scoring in three consecutive group stage matches against Senegal, Ecuador, and Qatar.
Gakpo was named in the Netherlands' squad for UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany. He was named player of the match in their opening 2–1 victory over Poland, in which he scored his country's first goal of the tournament. He received the honour again for their round of 16 match against Romania, where he scored the first goal and provided an assist in a 3–0 victory. With three goals in the tournament, Gakpo was awarded the Golden Boot in a 6-way tie.
On 27 May 2026, Gapko was named in the Netherlands' squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In the second group-stage match of the World Cup, he scored a brace and was named Man of the Match in a 5–1 victory over Sweden, taking his tally to five goals across two World Cup tournaments. In the Round of 32 against Morocco, he also scored in a match that ended in a penalty shoot-out defeat, bringing his total to six World Cup goals, only behind Johnny Rep among Dutch players.
Style of play Usually deployed as a left winger, he is also capable of playing a more central attacking role as a centre-forward. However, during his early time at Liverpool he was mostly deployed out of his natural position on the left wing and initially played most of his minutes in a midfield and centre forward role. 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.
Personal life Gakpo is a Pentecostal Christian. 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". During the 2022 FIFA World Cup, along with Memphis Depay, he led a Bible study for fifteen other Dutch teammates.
He welcomed his first child, a boy, in April 2024 with his partner Noa van der Bij. His partner had a miscarriage in June 2026.
Career statistics Club
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational cupLeague cupEuropeOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsJong PSV2016–17Eerste Divisie20————202017–18Eerste Divisie137————1372018–19Eerste Divisie1110————1110Total2617————2617PSV2017–18Eredivisie1000—00—102018–19Eredivisie16121—10001922019–20Eredivisie25720—111103982020–21Eredivisie23710—54—29112021–22Eredivisie271242—1571047212022–23Eredivisie14900—93112413Total1063693—41153115955Liverpool2022–23Premier League21730—20—2672023–24Premier League358406484—53162024–25Premier League3510006583—49182025–26Premier League3674000112105292026–27Premier League 51001100—62Total1323311013102991018652Career total263852031310702441370123
International
+ Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsNetherlands2021412022105202373202415520251052026106Total5625
Scores and results list the Netherlands' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Gakpo goal
+ List of international goals scored by Cody GakpoNo.DateVenueCapOpponentScoreResultCompetition14 September 2021Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands34–04–02022 FIFA World Cup qualification214 June 2022De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands72–03–22022–23 UEFA Nations League A322 September 2022Stadion Narodowy, Warsaw, Poland81–02–02022–23 UEFA Nations League A421 November 2022Al Thumama Stadium, Doha, Qatar101–02–02022 FIFA World Cup525 November 2022Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar111–01–12022 FIFA World Cup629 November 2022Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar121–02–02022 FIFA World Cup77 September 2023Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands182–03–0UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying810 September 2023Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland191–12–1UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying921 November 2023Estádio Algarve, Faro/Almancil, Portugal216–06–0UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying1016 June 2024Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, Germany251–12–1UEFA Euro 20241125 June 2024Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany271–12–3UEFA Euro 2024122 July 2024Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany281–03–0UEFA Euro 2024137 September 2024Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands313–25–22024–25 UEFA Nations League A1416 November 2024Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands352–04–02024–25 UEFA Nations League A1520 March 2025De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands371–12–22024–25 UEFA Nations League A169 October 2025National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta431–04–02026 FIFA World Cup qualification172–01812 October 2025Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands444–04–02026 FIFA World Cup qualification1917 November 2025Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands462–04–02026 FIFA World Cup qualification208 June 2026Icahn Stadium, New York, United States501–02–1Friendly212–12220 June 2026NRG Stadium, Houston, United States523–05–12026 FIFA World Cup234–02429 June 2026Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe, Mexico541–01–1 2026 FIFA World Cup2524 September 2026Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands551–11–12026–27 UEFA Nations League A
Honours PSV Eredivisie: 2017–18 KNVB Cup: 2021–22 Johan Cruyff Shield: 2021, 2022
Liverpool Premier League: 2024–25 EFL Cup: 2023–24; runner-up: 2024–25
Individual Dutch Footballer of the Year: 2021–22 Eredivisie Player of the Month: September 2022, October 2022 BBC Goal of the Month: January 2025 UEFA European Football Championship Top Goalscorer: 2024 (shared)
See also List of FIFA World Cup top goalscorers Notes
References
External links
Profile at the Liverpool F.C. website Profile at the Royal Dutch Football Association website
Cody Gakpo international appearances at Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation