At 3 a.m. on July 7, the Netherlands will face Turkey in the quarterfinals of the European Championship. Ahead of the match, Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf published an article titled “A 25-Year-Old Legend,” highlighting that Gakpo, with his remarkable efficiency, has entered the top 10 list of all-time major tournament goalscorers for the Netherlands, and he could challenge the records of Robben and Sneijder tonight.
The Dutch national team is one of the giants of world football. Excluding the Olympic men’s soccer and UEFA Nations League, they have reached the final three of the European Championship and World Cup a combined nine times, winning one European title and finishing as runners-up in the World Cup three times.
The all-time leading scorer for the Netherlands in major tournaments (World Cup and European Championship) is Dennis Bergkamp with 10 goals. Robin van Persie follows with nine goals. Three players—Ruud Gullit, Wesley Sneijder, and Patrick Kluivert—are tied for third place with eight goals each. Ruud van Nistelrooy and Arjen Robben share sixth place with seven goals. Robin van Persie, Memphis Depay, and Gakpo are tied for eighth with six goals apiece.
It’s remarkable that Gakpo has made it into the top 10 at just 25 years old. In this European Championship, he has scored three goals—finding the net against Poland, Austria, and Romania—and provided one assist (against Romania). In total, across only 10 World Cup and European Championship matches, amounting to 810 minutes (excluding stoppage time, 454 minutes in the World Cup and 356 minutes in the European Championship), he has scored six goals, demonstrating an extraordinary rate of scoring.
Gakpo has also proven himself as a player who thrives under pressure. In his 28 appearances for the national team, totaling 2,024 minutes, he has scored 12 goals. In non-major tournament matches (qualifiers, UEFA Nations League, friendlies, etc.), he has played 1,214 minutes and scored six goals, averaging a goal every 202.3 minutes. However, in more challenging major tournaments, his efficiency increases to a goal every 135 minutes, making him even more lethal in high-stakes games. De Telegraaf anticipates that if Gakpo scores against Turkey, not only might he contend for the 2024 European Championship Golden Boot but also potentially challenge Robben and Sneijder’s positions on the Netherlands’ all-time major tournament scorers list!
Among active players, Memphis Depay is another who has also made it into the top 10. Depay has played 97 times for the Netherlands, participating in four major tournaments (2014 World Cup, 2020 European Championship, 2022 World Cup, and 2024 European Championship), scoring six goals. Although his efficiency doesn’t match Gakpo’s, it’s still an impressive accomplishment.
