Sorloth’s instagram flooded with 85,000 comments after costly pass snub in Norway’s World Cup exit

Alexander Sørloth’s latest Instagram post has been inundated with over 85,000 comments — and counting — after the Atletico Madrid striker opted to shoot rather than pass to a wide-open Erling Haaland during Norway’s heartbreaking 2-1 World Cup quarterfinal defeat to England.

The moment arrived in the 44th minute at Miami Stadium, with Norway leading 1-0 through Andreas Schjelderup’s 36th-minute opener. Martin Ødegaard played a brilliant through ball to Sørloth, creating a two-on-one counterattack against England defender John Stones, with Haaland completely unmarked to his left. Most observers expected a simple square pass for a tap-in that would have doubled Norway’s lead just before halftime. Instead, Sørloth slowed down, attempted to dribble past Stones, and saw his deflected shot collected by goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

The failure proved catastrophic. Just three minutes later, Jude Bellingham equalized for England, before scoring the winner in extra time to end Norway’s dream run.

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Explosive Backlash

Fans have flooded Sørloth’s social media with fury. Comments ranged from calling him “selfish” and “stupid” to suggesting he “should be tried for treason in Norway”. One user wrote: “You had three choices: 1. Pass to Haaland, 2. Pass to Haaland, and 3. Pass to Haaland — and you did nothing”. The controversy even trended on Chinese social media platform Weibo.

Norwegian outlet VG reported that Sørloth’s social media posts received over 100,000 comments, many of them abusive. Some users wrote: “Never play football again” and “You’ve become the most hated person in Norway”.

The abuse escalated beyond the pitch. Sørloth’s girlfriend, Lena Selnes, also received threatening messages — including “Tell him to jump off a cliff,” “I want to kill him,” and “Die together in a helicopter”. Selnes shared some of the messages publicly, stating: “The World Cup and football bring a lot of joy, but they also create a lot of hate”.

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Sørloth Explains His Decision

Speaking after the match, Sørloth defended his thinking. “I take a touch and look up, and then I see that Stones blocks that pass. Then I take another touch, and that is too bad,” he explained. “The only thing I want in that situation is to pass to Erling. Then it feels like that pass isn’t there, and then I go for the shot”.

He expressed deep regret. “It’s heavy, and it’s those kinds of things you wish you could have done better,” he told VG. “I know new opportunities will come, but it’s naturally heavy when it’s on the biggest stage and we are fighting to get to a World Cup semi-final”.

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Pundits Weigh In

Former England striker Alan Shearer was scathing: “Again England are lucky. Sørloth should have played through Haaland with speed much earlier. He chose not to do it, and then there was no way through”. Gary Neville added on ITV: “He should have passed to Haaland. What was he doing? The best player in the world was unmarked”.

Norway coach Ståle Solbakken suggested extreme heat and humidity may have contributed: “Alex sprints at full speed for 40-50 metres, and then he looks for the exact time he should release it to Erling. He doesn’t find it”.

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A Defining Moment

For a Norway side making its first World Cup appearance since 1998, the quarterfinal run was historic. Haaland, who scored seven goals in the tournament, was left visibly disappointed. Despite speculation, Haaland continues to follow Sørloth on Instagram, with no evidence of a personal fallout.

For Sørloth, a single decision in a split second has defined Norway’s World Cup — and unleashed a storm that shows no sign of abating.