Why I didn’t pass to Haaland — Norway’s Sorloth speaks out as death threats escalate

Norway striker Alexander Sorloth has become the latest player to face online abuse at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, receiving messages urging him to take his own life after his country’s quarter-final defeat to England, according to Reuters.

The Atletico Madrid forward came under heavy criticism after Norway’s dramatic 2-1 extra-time loss to England on Saturday.

The backlash followed a decisive moment when Sorloth chose to shoot instead of passing to an unmarked Erling Haaland during a two-on-one counter-attack with Norway leading 1-0. His effort was blocked before England equalised and eventually secured victory to reach the semi-finals.

The abuse escalated on social media after Sorloth’s partner, Lena Selnes, posted screenshots on Instagram showing a stream of abusive messages, including comments telling the 30-year-old striker to take his own life.

Norway coach Stale Solbakken condemned the attacks, describing them as a sad 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.”

Sorloth defended his decision after the match, insisting he had wanted to find Haaland but felt England defender John Stones had successfully cut off 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.”

The incident adds to a growing number of cases of online abuse directed at players during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with football authorities and teams increasingly calling for stronger action against social media harassment following high-profile matches.

Vanguard News

The post Why I didn’t pass to Haaland — Norway’s Sorloth speaks out as death threats escalate appeared first on Vanguard News.