Mats Seuntjens was 34 years old and had a wound no goal could heal.
His daughter Celine Inaya had died just days earlier, shortly after being born. And yet, on Saturday, August 15, he took to the pitch at Rat Verlegh wearing the NAC Breda shirt, the club where he trained and to which he had returned less than a month earlier after playing for seven teams in three countries.
NAC lost 0-2 to VVV-Venlo, but that stopped mattering as soon as the final whistle blew. More than 18,000 people remained standing. They lit flares, sang his name over and over again, and a banner bearing the baby’s name and a phrase that summed it all up came down from the stands: ‘Heaven has one more little star.’ Even the opposing fans joined in the chant. Elba, his partner, was waiting for him among the crowd. That night, in Breda, an entire stadium understood that there are defeats that cannot be measured on the scoreboard.
Mats Seuntjens, NAC Breda player, lost his newborn daughter and decided to play just days later.
— Sudanalytics (@sudanalytics_) August 15, 2026
After the match, the fans prepared this tribute for him, with a flag that read “HEAVEN HAS ONE MORE LITTLE STAR”.
Heartbreaking. 💔🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/29sOdijh4V