Norway striker Alexander Sorloth has revealed why he opted not to pass to teammate Erling Haaland during his side’s 2-1 extra-time defeat to England in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
He has faced a wave of online abuse and death threats following the match.
The Atletico Madrid forward came under intense criticism after Norway’s elimination on Saturday.
The backlash centered on a key moment in the second half when Sorloth, leading a two-on-one counter-attack with Norway ahead 1-0, chose to shoot instead of passing to an unmarked Haaland.
His effort was blocked before England equalised and eventually secured victory in extra time to book a place in the semi-finals.
The abuse intensified after Sorloth’s partner, Lena Selnes, shared screenshots on Instagram showing numerous abusive messages directed at the striker, including posts urging the 30-year-old to take his own life.
Reacting to the incident, Norway head coach Stale Solbakken condemned the abuse, describing it as a disturbing reflection of modern football culture.
“It is tragic,” Solbakken told reporters in Miami.
“That is the world we live in. I tell the boys to stay away from social media, especially on days like this.
“There is nothing more to say about it other than it is completely devoid of sense on every possible level,” added.
Speaking after the match, Sorloth defended his decision during the decisive attack, explaining that his first instinct had been to pass to Haaland but that England defender John Stones had blocked the passing lane.
“The only thing I wanted to do in that situation was to pass to Erling,” Sorloth said.
“But it felt like the pass wasn’t there, so I went to shoot,” he added.
(The Whistler)
