Norwegian footballer Alexander Sørloth (30) found himself in a media storm after a critical moment in the World Cup quarterfinal against England. During the match. Sørloth had a 2-on-1 counterattack with Erling Haaland in a prime position, but instead of passing, he took the shot and missed, according to FOCUS online and Diario AS.

A missed opportunity and immediate consequences

The incident occurred in the 43rd minute when Sørloth had the chance to feed Haaland with a clear path to goal. Instead of playing the pass, Sørloth took the shot and missed. This led to the equalizer just two minutes later by Jude Bellingham, and ultimately, a 2-1 loss for Norway in extra time, as reported by Diario AS and Vietnam.vn.

According to Vietnam.vn, Sørloth later explained his decision: “I touched the ball, looked up and saw John Stones trying to intercept the pass. I touched the ball again, but not correctly. I waited until Stones moved so I had a chance to pass, because I wanted to give it to Erling, but Stones was lurking and tried to move inside, so I decided to take the shot.”

Death threats and public backlash

Following the loss, Sørloth faced a wave of online abuse, including death threats and calls for suicide. His girlfriend, Lena Selnes, made some of the messages public and expressed her disappointment, stating, “The World Cup and football bring a lot of joy, but also a lot of hate. I don’t want to pay attention to it, but after such comments, I have to,” according to FOCUS online.

Among the messages Selnes shared were particularly disturbing, such as “You will be killed.” She urged the perpetrators to reflect before posting such comments: “I hope that everyone, regardless of the situation, can think a bit more before making such comments,” as reported by FOCUS online.

Reflections and regrets

Sørloth admitted the incident was a significant mistake in his career. “I regret not reacting better in that moment. I thought there was still a chance, but of course, this was a quarterfinal and the biggest game in football,” he said, according to Vietnam.vn.

Despite the criticism, Norway’s run to the quarterfinal was widely praised, especially as it marked their first World Cup appearance since 1998, according to Diario AS. However, the controversy over Sørloth’s decision has overshadowed some of the positives, with fans and pundits continuing to debate the play.

The backlash has been so severe that Sørloth’s Instagram comments section has become a battleground for fans. The last post he made before the match against Brazil has since been flooded with messages, as reported by Diario AS.