Threat campaign against Sorloth after squandering a sure opportunity at the World Cup

Norwegian striker Alexander Sørloth has been subjected to a vicious campaign of online abuse and threats following his country’s elimination from the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup by the English national team.

Lina Selnes, Sørloth’s partner, posted samples of the abuse and threats they received after the match, which took place last Saturday in Miami, on her Instagram account.

One comment read: “Please commit suicide, you idiot,” while another wrote: “Tell your man to leave Norway and jump off a cliff.” A third comment stated: “I will kill him.”

The hostile messages are believed to stem from Sørloth, who plays for Atlético Madrid, missing a golden opportunity when Norway was leading 1-0, as he chose to shoot instead of passing to his teammate Erling Haaland, who was in a better position to score.

Selnes said: “The World Cup and football bring joy, but they also bring a lot of hatred. I really don’t want to give this matter much attention, but I had to do so after reading these comments.”