Cody Gakpo of Netherlands is on fire – and has a perfect hat-trick at World Cup 2022. Well, sort of…
The 23-year-old is only the fourth Oranje player ever to have netted in three consecutive World Cup fixtures. Johan Neeskens was the first to do it in the 1970s, while Arsenal hero Dennis Bergkamp repeated the feat almost 30 years later, doing it in 1998. Wesley Sneijder was the last Dutchman to do it, in 2010.
But Gakpo's achievement is a particularly sweet one, considering how he's scored his treble. The No.8 has been the one constant in Louis van Gaal's frontline, with Barcelona forward Memphis Depay coming in for the Qatar game now that he's fully fit – but still, all eyes on the man linked with Manchester United and Arsenal among others.
Cody Gakpo's perfect hat-trick
You know what a perfect hat-trick is: one goal scored with your right foot, one with your left and one with your head. Cody Gakpo knows too, now.
The PSV star's right-footed drive past Qatar keeper Meshaal Barsham completed a lovely set that began with a stunning opening game header against Senegal. That other goal? You guessed it: a left-footed hit against Ecuador in the second Dutch fixture, the 1-1 draw against Ecuador.
You can see why half of Europe are chasing him, can't you? Gakpo is predominantly right-footed and most often used on the left wing but can play both centrally and on the right if needed.
Gakpo is valued to be worth around at €45 million by Transfermarkt.
