Norway’s heartbreaking World Cup exit has triggered a massive wave of online backlash targeting forward Alexander Sorloth. Fans are pointing fingers at the striker following a squandered late counterattack that saw him and superstar teammate Erling Haaland catch England in a vulnerable 2-on-1 situation, only for the golden opportunity to fizzle out without a shot on target.
Instead of slipping a pass over to an unmarked Haaland, who was later subbed off, for a clean, 1-on-1 breakaway against England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, Sorloth opted to call his own number. The hesitation allowed the English backline just enough recovery time to track back, swallow up the space, and decisively block the Norwegian striker’s heavily contested shot. Norway later scored the 2-1, but the goal was disallowed after a VAR review.
Furious fans immediately flooded Sorloth’s Instagram account with heavy criticism. Irate comments left on his recent posts included callouts such as, “You should’ve passed the ball. Now the game is 1-1 because of your ego,” “Jealous little Sorloth. Pass the ball,” and “Don’t pass to anyone bro, take the ball home and eat it.”
The squandered opportunity didn’t just open the door for England’s dramatic equalizer—which later drew a clarification from FIFA over a controversial, alleged Spidercam cable deflection—it also cost Norway a priceless chance to regain the lead in a defining moment.
Sorloth struggled to make an impact on the world stage
Tasked with playing a vastly different role than he typically features in at the club level, Sorloth was never able to find his rhythm or weaponize his physical traits for the national team, heading home from North America completely empty-handed.
Here is a complete look at his 2026 World Cup campaign by the numbers:
- Matches Played: 5
- Matches Started: 5
- Minutes Played: 341
- Goals: 0
- Assists: 0
- Total Shots: 3
- Shots on Target: 1
- Passing Accuracy: 81.3% (99/122)
- Yellow Cards: 0
- Red Cards: 0
With Erling Haaland and Norway officially sent packing in the quarterfinals, a broader question emerges regarding how young phenoms adjust to the global stage: How do Haaland compare to the debut World Cup performances of icons like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo?
