Alexander Sørloth Breaks Silence
Alexander Sørloth received severe abuse and death threats on social media after Norway’s World Cup exit last summer. The 30-year-old Atlético Madrid striker addressed the messages publicly for the first time in an interview with Dagbladet.
“Many think I can go in the trap where I stay home and get depressed, but out in the real world people have mostly been fine,” Sørloth told Dagbladet.
The backlash followed Norway’s 2–1 extra-time defeat against England after the forward missed a scoring chance. Tens of thousands of comments flooded his Instagram profile, including severe personal attacks and death threats.
“Very special,” Sørloth said to Dagbladet regarding the online reaction. “I chose to live in the real world and get out. When you get so many messages and comments you can think that the whole world is against you and you have to stay indoors. I decided to get out the door.”
Real-World Response to Online Hate
Sørloth managed the digital abuse by avoiding social media platforms altogether. He relied on his long career in professional football to filter out the noise.
“It’s just to shut it away, I have quite good control over that through my life in football,” he told Dagbladet. “As I said, the most important thing is to get fresh air, get out.”
Fine people are out enjoying life,” he continued to Dagbladet.
Impact on Family and Official Reactions
Sørloth’s partner, Lena Selnes, also became a target for online abuse and shared several of the threatening messages on her Instagram profile.
“VM og fotball gir mye glede, men også mye hat,” Selnes wrote, adding that she wanted to avoid giving the abuse attention but needed to highlight it after receiving such comments, as reported by Dagbladet.
National team manager Ståle Solbakken condemned the abuse strongly at the time. “It is tragic, and there is nothing more to say about it. It is completely blank on all possible parameters,” Solbakken told Dagbladet.
The player organization NISO also responded to the incident, stating that authorities should evaluate the specific threats for police reports, according to Dagbladet’s coverage.
What caused the online abuse against Alexander Sørloth?
What caused the online abuse against Alexander Sørloth?
The harassment began after Sørloth missed a scoring chance during Norway’s 2–1 extra-time loss to England in the World Cup.
How did Alexander Sørloth respond to the death threats?
Sørloth avoided social media, ignored the messages, and focused on spending time outside in the physical world.
Did anyone else face abuse alongside the national team striker?
Sørloth’s partner, Lena Selnes, also received severe online abuse and shared several threatening messages on her Instagram profile.
How did football officials react to the incident?
National team manager Ståle Solbakken called the abuse tragic, while the player organization NISO said that authorities should consider filing police reports over the specific threats.