Norway striker Alexander Sørloth has explained why he chose not to pass to an unmarked Erling Haaland during his side’s FIFA World Cup quarter-final defeat to England as he faces a wave of online abuse, including death threats.
The Atlético Madrid forward came under intense criticism after Norway’s 2-1 extra-time loss on Saturday, with many supporters questioning his decision during a crucial second-half counter-attack.
The decisive moment came in the 44th minute when Martin Ødegaard released Sørloth in a two-on-one attack with Norway leading 1-0.
Instead of squaring the ball to Haaland, the striker delayed before shooting, only for his effort to be blocked.
England later equalised before completing a comeback in extra time to book their place in the semi-finals.
Speaking after the match, Sørloth insisted he had intended to pass to his strike partner but believed England defender John Stones had cut off the passing lane.
Sørloth said: “The only thing I wanted to do in that situation was to pass to Erling.
“But it felt like the pass wasn’t there, so I went to shoot.”
The criticism intensified after the match, with Sørloth’s partner, Lena Selnes, posting screenshots on Instagram showing abusive messages sent to the Norway international, including comments urging him to take his own life.
Norway head coach Ståle Solbakken condemned the abuse, describing it as a disturbing reflection of modern football culture.
“It is tragic,” Solbakken said.
“That is the world we live in. I tell the boys to stay away from social media, especially on days like this.”
He added: “There is nothing more to say about it other than it is completely devoid of sense on every possible level.”
The incident is the latest case of online abuse involving players during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, prompting renewed calls from teams and football authorities for stronger action against harassment on social media following high-profile matches.
