The Dutch team finished its run in the FIFA World Cup in the quarterfinal match against Argentina. Although they may lose the match, Christian Dutch football player Cody Gakpo believes their dream is still “unfinished.”
Christian Dutch Football Players
“A dream coming true, but also a dream that’s unfinished. Not a single word can describe how proud I am of this team. No matter what you’re facing, ???????????? is always by your side,” he wrote on his Instagram page. “Thank you ???????????? for the infinite support,” he added.
Cody, together with his teammate and fellow striker, Memphis Depay, have been vocal about their faith. And they are sharing with their team about Jesus, leading them in Bible studies and prayer.
CBN News reports that even during the tournament, Cody and Memphis gathered fifteen Netherlands players into meditating on God’s word and prayer. “We often speak to each other about our faith, how we understand passages of the Bible which describe situations in life,” Cody said. “This creates a bond among us teammates even if some of us do not know each other much yet.”
Denzel Dumfries, one of Cody’s teammates, feels grateful for Cody’s initiative. “IN the last few days we have prayed a lot with him, and he has shared his faith with us. How he finds himself in it. The [worship] sessions were very special, that gave me a lot of strength and I’m very grateful.”
Cody further explained that reading the Bible and prayer has been his connection to the Source of peace and strength. “If I can’t go to church, I call the pastor. I do that at (soccer club) PSV, and now too. Faith gives me peace. And strength when I need it.”

Cody Gakpo and Memphis Depay
While for Memphis, he usually leads the team in prayer. He said in an interview how his faith keeps him inner peace. “Faith gives me inner peace, I can rely on my faith, on God, on my prayers, that’s how I live my life. I don’t worry too much about things, because I want to have fun, because the talent God gave me is to have fun and to entertain others.”
Let there be more Christian athletes standing up for their faith.
Reference: CBN News