Cody Gakpo sends warning to England and Netherlands fans ahead of Euro 2024 semi-final | OneFootball

Cody Gakpo has told fans of the Netherlands and England that playing good football does not necessarily lead to tournament success.

The Oranje and the Three Lions will meet in the semi-finals of Euro 2024 in Dortmund on Wednesday after they clinched narrow victories in their respective quarter-finals. The Netherlands came from behind to beat Turkey 2-1 shortly after England knocked out Switzerland on penalties following a 1-1 draw.

Though they have done well to reach this stage of the tournament, both sides have come under fire for their subpar performances and inability to play attractive football for long stretches despite boasting some of the world's finest players.

Speaking after the Dutch beat Turkey in Berlin, Liverpool forward Gakpo admitted England's victory was a vindication of his own team's tactics.

"England won so that’s a good sign - like us! In the end, it's the most important thing," Gakpo said.

"You can play good football but still go out. Obviously I think everyone knows each country can play a little bit better but if you win, that's all that matters."

Ake is relishing a semi-final with England / Inaki Esnaola/GettyImages

England captain Harry Kane claimed that the Three Lions' performances have improved as Euro 2024 has gone on, and this is a view that Manchester City's Nathan Ake shares about the Netherlands.

"I'm looking forward to it. There’s a lot of players I know from the Premier League. We know their individual qualities and it's a semi-final so it will be tough. We’re building momentum," Ake said.

"We came through tough stages at the start of the tournament and now we've got through another test so I think we're ready for it.

"Underdog or not - it doesn't matter. We focus on ourselves. We know what we need to do. We are very close now."