Cody Gakpo's Faith and Unity as Netherlands Prepare for Sweden Showdown

Cody Gakpo leans on faith as Netherlands brace for Sweden showdown

In the heat of a World Cup group stage that already feels unforgiving, Cody Gakpo believes the Netherlands’ strength is being forged far from the cameras – in a quiet prayer circle inside the team hotel.

Ronald Koeman’s side, three-time runners-up on the world stage, are under early strain after a 2-2 draw with an impressive Japan in Arlington, Texas. Now they face Group F leaders Sweden in Houston on Saturday, knowing anything less than a statement performance will invite trouble.

Gakpo, though, cut a calm, assured figure at the Dutch base in Kansas City.

“We have high hopes for ourselves,” the Liverpool winger said. “I think we feel that we have a good group, and at the end we have to show it on the pitch and obviously go through in the group stage, and then push on.”

Behind that optimism lies a tight-knit core of players who have built their own ritual. Around 11 or 12 members of the squad regularly gather to pray and talk about faith, a routine Gakpo says is quietly binding the dressing room together.

“We often end up in conversations in which we talk about faith and I'm often one of those who leads the prayer,” he explained. “But everyone has their own role and their own contribution.”

The 27-year-old has seen the circle grow as the tournament has approached. That, he insists, is no small detail.

“I think the group of guys is getting bigger and bigger. And I think it also brings a certain cohesion, of course,” he said. “Also outside of football, obviously, to get along well with each other. But also just to give each other strength, in moments like these when we really have to be there for each other.

“And that we can form a unity together. Not only on the pitch, but also outside it.”

That unity will be tested by a Sweden side that arrived in the United States at full throttle. Graham Potter’s team opened with a ruthless 5-1 dismantling of Tunisia, powered by a forward line that looks as dangerous as any in the competition.

Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres headline that attack, and Gakpo knows one of them better than most.

Warning over Liverpool teammate Isak

Isak’s journey to this World Cup has been anything but smooth. The Liverpool forward lost most of his first season at Anfield after a high-profile move from Newcastle, sidelined by an ankle injury that included a fibula fracture. He only returned towards the end of the campaign, but he returned with purpose.

“Special player, and we were very happy that he returned (from injury),” Gakpo said. “And at the end, I think he was fit, he scored some goals, and he played well.

“And obviously he started the tournament very well with his performance. And I think everybody knows how good a player he is, so we have to look (out for) him.”

Koeman’s defenders will need to be sharper than they were against Japan, where lapses and loose moments invited pressure. Against Sweden, those same errors are likely to be punished.

New start after Liverpool disappointment

For Gakpo, this World Cup also offers something more personal: a clean break from a bruising club season. Liverpool’s campaign ended in disappointment and the dismissal of manager Arne Slot, leaving a sour taste around Anfield.

“Last season at Liverpool is not something a lot of people want to look back on, I think, unfortunately,” he admitted. “But that's just football as well. And we just have to move on. Here it's obviously a completely different environment, it's a completely different team.”

That reset is vital. In the orange shirt, Gakpo is no longer carrying the weight of a misfiring club campaign; he is one of the leaders of a national side trying to rediscover its old edge under pressure.

Japan exposed the Dutch as a team still searching for rhythm. Sweden will reveal whether those prayer huddles and quiet conversations have built something stronger – a group ready not just to talk about unity, but to live it when the stakes are highest in Houston.