Cody Gakpo has expressed his ambition to lead Liverpool to a Champions League victory in the 2025-26 season. Following their Premier League success last year, Gakpo played a crucial role for Liverpool under Arne Slot, scoring 18 goals and assisting six times across all competitions.
His involvement in 24 goals was second only to Mohamed Salah’s 57 for Liverpool in the 2024-25 season.
Gakpo’s performance was pivotal when Liverpool secured the Premier League title with a 5-1 win over Tottenham on April 27. He scored the third goal at Anfield after Dominic Solanke had given Tottenham an early lead. Reflecting on that day, Gakpo told Sky Sports, “I thought this day just couldn’t go wrong. So, even when Tottenham scored, I think nobody on the pitch had a worried feeling or anything, because we knew we were going to seal the deal that day.”
Liverpool excelled in the initial phase of the Champions League last season, topping their group by winning seven out of eight matches. However, they were eliminated in the last 16 by Paris Saint-Germain, who won on penalties after a 1-1 aggregate draw. This marked Liverpool’s first exit from a major European knockout tie after winning the first leg away from home.
Gakpo shared his thoughts on this setback: “I think we were all very proud at the time, still are what we did last season, but it also gave us a lot of hunger that we wanted to do it again and again.” He added that there was some frustration about being knocked out of the Champions League as they felt they could have achieved something more special.
This summer, Liverpool has been active in strengthening their squad with new signings as they prepare for the upcoming season. The club is nearing a £300 million spend with additions like Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Armin Pecsi, and Freddie Woodman joining their ranks. Giorgio Mamardashvili has also officially become part of the team.
Despite rumours linking him with Bayern Munich, Gakpo intends to remain at Anfield and be an integral part of Liverpool’s evolving squad. “I hope to be around as long as possible,” he said. He emphasised feeling at home at Liverpool and appreciated the support from fans and club members.
International Aspirations
On an international level, Gakpo aims for success with the Netherlands in the upcoming 2026 World Cup. He made his mark during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar while playing for PSV Eindhoven by scoring in each of their first three group matches. “That would be amazing,” Gakpo remarked about potentially winning the World Cup with his national team.
The Dutch squad now boasts several players reaching top teams globally, which Gakpo believes will enhance their quality and depth. He hopes this will propel them far in next summer’s tournament.
Gakpo remains focused on achieving great things both domestically and internationally. For him and Liverpool, aiming high for Europe’s top prize is essential: “For a club like Liverpool, we have to aim high for the Champions League. That’s the highest prize in Europe that we can win – and that’s what we will fight for again next year.”