Sorloth and his girlfriend receive death threats after costly World Cup miss
Reading Time: 3min | Mon. 13.07.26. | 16:00
The Norway striker says he is devastated by his decision against England as his partner appeals for an end to online abuse after receiving horrifying messages
Norway striker Alexander Sorloth and his girlfriend have been subjected to shocking online abuse, including death threats, after his costly miss in the team's World Cup quarter-final defeat to England.
According to Norwegian outlet VG, Sorloth's social media accounts were flooded with more than 100,000 comments following Norway's 2-1 loss, while his partner, Lena Selnes, also became the target of threatening messages.
🚨🚨| BREAKING: Alexander Sørloth has received 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐒 after Norway's elimination against England.
— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) July 13, 2026
Threats including calls to suicide were posted targeting the striker after he missed his chance and didn’t pass to Erling Haaland vs England.
[@RMCsport] pic.twitter.com/zgkEpTZX4C
Among the messages she shared publicly were chilling comments such as: "Tell him to jump off a cliff," "I want to kill him," and "Die together in a helicopter."
"The World Cup and football bring so much joy, but they also create so much hate," Selnes wrote. "I didn't want to give this attention, but after receiving comments like these, I felt I had to speak out."
She urged supporters to think carefully before posting online, adding: "I hope everyone reflects a little more before writing such comments, regardless of the situation."
The abuse followed a pivotal moment late in the first half of Norway's quarter-final against England.
With Norway leading 1-0, Sorloth elected to shoot instead of passing to an unmarked Erling Haaland during a dangerous counterattack. Defender John Stones blocked the effort, and England equalised moments later before Jude Bellingham scored the winner in extra time to send the Three Lions into the semi-finals.
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The decision drew criticism from several pundits, including Alan Shearer and Gary Neville, both of whom believed Sorloth should have squared the ball to Haaland.
The Atletico Madrid forward admitted after the match that he regretted the decision.
"After my first touch, I saw Stones blocking the pass. My next touch was poor," Sorloth told VG. "I wanted to pass to Haaland, but I felt the passing lane was closed, so I chose to shoot."
He admitted the moment has continued to haunt him.
"It's a really difficult feeling. I keep replaying the situation in my mind and thinking about what I could have done differently. New opportunities will come, but we've been eliminated on the biggest stage while fighting for a place in the World Cup semi-finals. It's heartbreaking."
The incident is the latest reminder of the darker side of football fandom, with abuse increasingly extending beyond players to their families.
Only recently, the Colombian Football Federation condemned death threats directed at Jhon Cordoba and his family following Colombia's World Cup Round-of-16 defeat to Switzerland, highlighting the growing problem of online harassment during major tournaments.
WORLD CUP - KNOCKOUT STAGE
Semi-finals
Tuesday
22.00: (2.40) France (3.30) Spain (3.25)
Wednesday
22.00: (2.55) England (3.10) Argentina (3.15)
***odds are subject to change***