Gakpo, Brobbey 'Proud' to Emulate Icons Robben, Van Persie After Sweden Demolition

The Netherlands' dynamic attacking duo, Cody Gakpo and Brian Brobbey, spoke of their pride after matching a historic national team milestone during their ruthless 5-1 dismantling of Sweden at the Houston Stadium.

By each netting a brace in the victory, the pair became the first Dutch duo to score twice in the same World Cup match since Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie famously tore Spain apart by the exact same scoreline 12 years ago at Brazil 2014.

Striker Brian Brobbey, who was the lone tactical change to Ronald Koeman's starting XI following an opening-round draw against Japan, set the tone immediately with two clinical finishes in the first 17 minutes.

Brian Brobbey: "I didn’t know that, but I’m very proud. Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben are legends in the Netherlands. To be mentioned alongside them is something that makes both me and the team proud. It's incredible to make an immediate impact."

After the halftime interval, Cody Gakpo took complete charge. Having already provided the assist for Brobbey's opening goal, the Liverpool forward struck twice within a devastating nine-minute window to push the match completely out of Sweden's reach.

Cody Gakpo: "It's a good list to be part of. Robben and Van Persie, and now Brian and me today. It's definitely something to be proud of. The lights shine very brightly on this stage... but overall, it’s a collective performance. The team helped me a lot to get into positions to score."

Gakpo, who was 15 years old when he watched Van Persie's iconic flying header against Spain on television, is now generating his own tournament history. His double against Sweden opened his 2026 account and vaulted him into elite company regarding prolific Dutch goalscorers on the global stage.

With 5 goals in just 7 career World Cup appearances across the 2022 and 2026 tournaments, Gakpo sits just two goals shy of eclipsing Johnny Rep's long-standing national record of 7 finals goals.