Norway’s heartbreaking World Cup exit to England continues to dominate headlines, but the biggest talking point from the quarter-final wasn’t just Jude Bellingham’s match-winning heroics.
Instead, one moment late in the first half has become the centre of intense debate across the football world after Alexander Sorloth chose to shoot instead of passing to Erling Haaland during a golden counter-attacking opportunity.
The decision has sparked fierce criticism from supporters, with many believing it was the defining moment of the match. In the aftermath, Sorloth has finally explained why he made the choice, while his girlfriend has also been forced to release a statement after receiving abusive messages online.
The Moment That Changed the Game
Norway made a dream start against England in their World Cup quarter-final, taking the lead through Andreas Schjelderup after his cross-looped effort beat Jordan Pickford.
With England still trying to recover from the setback, Norway had another huge chance just before half-time.
Martin Ødegaard released Alexander Sorloth into space, creating a dangerous two-on-one situation against the England defence.
Running alongside him was Erling Haaland, who had already scored seven goals during the tournament and had been one of the standout performers at the World Cup.
Many expected Sorloth to square the ball to his strike partner for what looked like a simple finish.
Instead, the Atlético Madrid forward decided to cut inside and shoot himself.
John Stones recovered brilliantly to block the effort, ending the attack.
Moments later, England went up the other end and Jude Bellingham scored the equaliser that completely changed the momentum of the game.
Bellingham eventually struck again in extra time to send England into the World Cup semi-finals with a dramatic 2-1 victory.
Haaland’s Reaction Said Everything
Television cameras immediately captured Erling Haaland’s frustration after the opportunity disappeared.
The Manchester City striker threw his arms into the air, clearly disappointed that the pass never arrived.
Given Haaland’s incredible goalscoring record throughout the competition, many supporters questioned why Sorloth had not simply rolled the ball across for an almost certain goal.
The incident quickly went viral across social media, with countless fans describing it as one of the biggest missed opportunities of the tournament.
Many believed that had Norway doubled their advantage before half-time, the outcome of the match could have been completely different.
Sorloth Explains His Decision
Following Norway’s elimination, Alexander Sorloth addressed the controversial moment and admitted that his first instinct had actually been to pass to Haaland.
However, he felt England defender John Stones had closed the passing lane.
Explaining the situation, Sorloth said:
“I take a touch and look up, and then I see that Stones blocks that pass.”
He continued by revealing that his hesitation ultimately proved costly.
“Then I take another touch, and that is too bad. I wait for him to make a move instead of me making him make a move.”
Sorloth admitted that passing to Haaland remained his preferred option throughout the move.
“The only thing I want in that situation there is to pass to Erling. Then it feels like that pass isn’t there, and then I go for the shot.”
His explanation has divided opinion.
Some supporters sympathised with the split-second decision required at World Cup level, while others insisted the striker should still have found Haaland with the pass.
England Punished Norway Immediately
Football often punishes missed chances, and Norway experienced exactly that.
Only moments after Sorloth’s blocked shot, England produced an equaliser through Jude Bellingham.
The Real Madrid midfielder collected Anthony Gordon’s pass before producing another composed finish to make it 1-1 just before the interval.
That goal completely changed the atmosphere inside the stadium.
England grew into the contest during the second half before Bellingham eventually scored again in extra time to complete the comeback and secure a place in the World Cup semi-finals.
For many Norway supporters, Sorloth’s missed opportunity will remain one of the defining moments of the entire tournament.
More Controversy Followed
The match itself featured several controversial moments beyond Sorloth’s decision.
Norway believed England’s equaliser should have been disallowed after television replays appeared to show Orjan Nyland’s goal kick touching the spidercam cable before Elliot Anderson collected possession.
FIFA later insisted that the connected ball technology detected no contact with the cable, allowing the goal to stand.
Norway also saw a second-half goal ruled out after VAR judged Erling Haaland had fouled Elliot Anderson in the build-up.
England later thought they had won a penalty in extra time before another VAR review overturned the decision.
The combination of controversial moments left many Norwegian players and supporters feeling hard done by after their historic World Cup campaign came to an end.
Online Abuse Crosses the Line
While criticism of Sorloth’s decision spread rapidly online, the situation soon escalated into something far more serious.
Instead of simply debating the footballing decision, some social media users began targeting the striker and those close to him with abusive messages.
The backlash became so severe that Sorloth’s girlfriend, Lena Selnes, decided to speak publicly.
She revealed that both she and the Norwegian striker had received hateful comments following the defeat to England.
Among the messages were personal insults and even death threats.
Lena Selnes Issues Emotional Statement
Sharing screenshots of some of the messages she had received, Selnes urged supporters to think before posting online.
She wrote:
“The World Cup and football bring a lot of joy, but also a lot of hate.”
She admitted she initially had no intention of responding publicly but felt compelled after seeing the nature of some of the comments.
Selnes continued:
“I don’t really want to give it any attention, but feel the need to after comments like this.”
She finished her message with an appeal for greater respect across football communities.
“Hope everyone can think a little extra before making such comments, regardless of the situation.”
Her statement quickly received widespread support from football fans, journalists and fellow players, many of whom condemned the abuse.
Norway’s World Cup Ends in Disappointment
Although Norway ultimately fell short against England, their run to the quarter-finals represented one of the country’s greatest World Cup achievements.
Led by stars including Erling Haaland, Martin Ødegaard and Alexander Sorloth, Norway impressed throughout the tournament and reached the last eight for the first time in their history.
They pushed England all the way into extra time and can consider themselves unfortunate to leave the competition after such a closely contested match.
Despite the disappointment, the tournament also demonstrated the quality of Norway’s current generation and provided optimism for future international competitions.
England March On
For England, the victory kept alive hopes of lifting a first World Cup since 1966.
Jude Bellingham once again proved to be the difference, scoring both goals to send Thomas Tuchel’s side into the semi-finals.
England will now turn their attention to another huge challenge as they continue their quest for World Cup glory.
Meanwhile, Norway will be left wondering what might have happened had one final pass found Erling Haaland instead of ending with a blocked shot.
It remains one of the defining “what if” moments of the 2026 World Cup, while the abuse directed at Alexander Sorloth and his family has served as another reminder that football debates should never cross the line into personal attacks.
