Cody Gakpo's partner, model Noa van der Bij, shared difficult news on social media Saturday, the couple's unborn son had died during pregnancy.
The baby had been due in October. Van der Bij posted a photo of the two of them holding hands over a small blanket and a knitted hat, accompanying the announcement of the loss. Gakpo and van der Bij already share one son together.
The timing placed the Netherlands forward in an unusual position.
Gakpo is currently with the Dutch national team at the World Cup, where the Netherlands have advanced to the knockout stage after a group stage that put real expectations on the squad heading into the tournament's later rounds.
The Royal Dutch Football Association, the KNVB, confirmed Saturday that Gakpo will remain with the team for the remainder of the competition rather than returning home.
Neither Gakpo nor van der Bij offered further public comment beyond the initial announcement, and the family has not indicated whether that will change as the tournament continues.
Teammates and Dutch football figures offered messages of support following the news, though the focus from the camp has remained on respecting the family's privacy during what is an intensely personal loss.
Gakpo, 27, has been one of the more important attacking pieces for a Netherlands side built around a mix of established stars and a new generation looking to push deep into the tournament.
How the news affects him on the field, if at all, is something only he and his teammates will really know, but the Dutch federation's decision to let him make that call himself, rather than making it for him, reflects an approach that puts the person ahead of the player.