Cody Gakpo blazes onto global stage to lift Netherlands

His contributions so far have been those of an all-rounder

IMPRESSING: Cody Gakpo of the Netherlands celebrates. Pic: AP Photo/Petr David Josek

In a tent amid Doha’s university campus, the player to take lessons from was sitting to Cody Gakpo’s right. Daley Blind knows the value of a searing World Cup debut: he was 24 when the Netherlands beat Spain 5-1 in a modern classic eight years ago and the first of his two assists was for Robin van Persie’s extraordinary body-flipping header. 

“It was a great game, maybe that game changed my life,” Blind said. “We’ll see about that for everyone who is in the tournament.”