Ruben van Bommel's Louvre‑worthy assist dazzles the Dutch side
Columnist Sjoerd Mossou wrote that Ruben van Bommel’s cross to Cody Gakpo on 24 September 2026 was the most beautiful assist ever recorded for the Dutch national team, a piece of play he believes belongs in the Louvre. He watched the moment forty times before concluding that the geometry and timing were unparalleled.
Watching the moment repeatedly
Mossou replayed the cross forty times, noting the four German defenders lining up perfectly parallel to the penalty area. He described the ball’s curve as “almost an AI‑animation, too perfect to be real”. The photographer credit reads © SCS/Soenar Chamid / Pim Ras.
Why the assist stands out
According to Mossou, the assist combined intuition, technique and timing: “Vlak voordat Van Bommel zijn rechterbeen naar achteren zwaait, kan hij Gakpo onmogelijk zien.” He argues that if Van Bommel had performed a careful geometric calculation beforehand, the cross might never have been delivered.
The cross arrived at Gakpo’s feet with a flawless curve, allowing him to finish brilliantly against Germany. Mossou Gakpo seemed frozen in disbelief, forgetting to celebrate after the goal.
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Historical context
Mossou compares the play to legendary assists such as Guti’s heel‑pass to Karim Benzema in 2010 and Luka Modrić’s “” in the 2022 Champions League final, but insists none match the perfection of Van Bommel’s delivery.
He also references past Dutch assists from Wesley Sneijder, Johan Cruyff, Frank de Boer and Willem van Hanegem, stating that none combined the elements of curve, speed and space as seamlessly.
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Final verdict
“Geen assist in de geschiedenis van het Nederlands elftal was volmaakter dan deze,” Mossou concludes, calling the cross a work of art worthy of museum display. He ends with the line, “Als Van Bommel eerst een zorgvuldige geometrische berekening had kunnen maken, was er vermoedelijk nooit een voorzet gekomen.”