Norway’s remarkable World Cup journey concluded on Saturday when Jude Bellingham led England to a 2-1 victory in extra time during the quarter-finals.
Event Context
Also check out: Erling Haaland’s father claims the referee ‘robbed’ Norway following their heartbreaking exit in the FIFA World Cup against England.
Meanwhile, Sorloth hasn’t made any moves on social media that imply he is distancing himself from the Norwegian No. 9.
In a close match, Thomas Tuchel’s team equalized only in the final moments of the 90 minutes, suggesting that a two-goal lead at that time could have been the key for Stale Solbakken’s squad to secure a spot in the semi-finals and create a historic moment at the World Cup.
Bellingham sealed winner, Haaland got benched
Erling Haaland, who started the match with seven goals and was in pursuit of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe for the Golden Boot, failed to score as Norway was knocked out of the tournament. A pivotal moment during Norway’s first-half attack drew significant attention online. Alexander Sorloth found himself in a 2-v-1 situation with Haaland open for a pass, but he opted to shoot instead, facing pressure from English defenders.
Haaland, who had clearly signaled for the ball, seemed visibly frustrated with Sorloth’s decision, expressing his disappointment through body language and facial cues.
Following Norway’s elimination, a post circulated on social media claiming that Erling Haaland had unfollowed Sorloth on Instagram. The post, which originated from a parody account, suggested that the relationship between the two players had soured due to the match incident. However, this claim was not accurate, as Haaland remains following his teammate on the platform.
After the match concluded, Sorloth faced harsh criticism, with many arguing that passing to Haaland could have altered the game’s outcome. At the time of the incident, Norway was leading by one goal, and an additional score would have placed them in a more advantageous position, increasing the pressure on England, who were struggling with possession against Norway’s aggressive play.
In a crucial moment, Haaland was substituted in the 105th minute, and soon after, Jude Bellingham’s goal at the start of extra time was enough to eliminate Norway from the tournament.
