Norway's Alexander Sørloth and partner receive death threats after missed World Cup quarter-final chance against England

The decisive moment

Norway's World Cup quarter-final against England on 11 July turned on a single counter-attack in the 44th minute. Leading 1-0, Sørloth burst forward and opted to shoot rather than square the ball to Erling Haaland, who was unmarked in a better position. The chance was wasted, and within minutes Jude Bellingham equalised, sending the match to extra time. Bellingham completed his double in the additional period, giving England a 2-1 victory and eliminating Norway. The first England goal drew separate criticism because the ball had earlier struck a cable from an aerial camera on a long clearance by goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland; referee Clément Turpin came under fire for allowing play to continue.

A wave of online hate

Within hours, Sørloth's social media accounts were flooded with abuse. His partner Lena Selnes shared screenshots on Instagram showing messages that included "you will be killed," "kill yourself," "I hope you and the helicopter burn slowly," and homophobic slurs. One comment on his earlier post celebrating a quarter-final win against Brazil read: "Pass that f***ing ball, you are not Ronaldo."

The World Cup and football bring a lot of joy, but also a lot of hate. I originally didn't want to pay attention to it, but after seeing comments like these, I felt obliged to react. I hope everyone thinks twice before writing such comments, whatever the situation.

Selnes also said the line between sporting criticism and personal intimidation had been crossed. She herself became a target of hurtful messages.

Coach and player reactions

National team coach Ståle Solbakken publicly supported Sørloth and advised the squad to avoid social media, "especially on days like these."

That's why I advise the boys to stay away from social media. Especially on days like these.

After the match, Sørloth said: "It's hard. There are things you wish you had done better. But I also know that new chances will come. Naturally it's hard when it's about the biggest stage and we are fighting for a place in the semi-final of the World Cup."

A broader pattern

FIFA disclosed that more than 89,000 hate comments were recorded during the group stage of the tournament, 10% of them racist. The Norwegian football federation and Selnes have indicated that the most serious threats may lead to legal action. The episode adds to a growing list of online abuse incidents targeting footballers and their families after high-profile matches.