Fact check: Did Erling Haaland unfollow Alexander Sorloth on Instagram?

Fact Check: Did Erling Haaland unfollow teammate Alexander Sorloth over England defeat? Here’s the truth (Image via Getty)

Norway’s World Cup dream ended with a painful 2-1 extra-time defeat to England in the quarter-finals, but the discussion did not stop with the final whistle. Soon after the match, a social media claim began spreading that Erling Haaland had unfollowed teammate Alexander Sorloth on Instagram following a controversial moment during the game.

The claim gained attention because Sorloth chose to shoot instead of passing to an unmarked Haaland during a promising first-half attack. However, a closer look shows the viral post is not true. Haaland continues to follow Sorloth on Instagram, and there is no evidence of any fallout between the Norway teammates.

Erling Haaland and Alexander Sorloth Instagram claim examined

The claim appeared after Norway’s defeat to England, when many fans were still talking about a missed chance involving Haaland and Sorloth.During the first half, Norway broke forward in a two-on-one attack. Haaland had made a run into open space and was calling for the ball, but Sorloth decided to take the shot himself. England’s defenders recovered in time and the opportunity was lost. The moment quickly became one of the biggest talking points from the match. Not long after, a social media account posted the claim: “Erling Haaland has unfollowed Alexander Sorloth on Instagram.”

The post led some fans to believe the missed pass had damaged the relationship between the two forwards. But the claim does not hold up under scrutiny.The account that shared the post identifies itself as a parody account. More importantly, Haaland’s Instagram following list still includes Sorloth, showing that he has not unfollowed his Norway teammate. There is also no sign that Sorloth has unfollowed Haaland or taken any public action suggesting tension between them.

Alexander Sorloth’s missed chance remains a major talking point

While the Instagram rumour is false, the missed opportunity against England continues to be debated by fans and pundits.Many supporters felt a simple pass to Haaland would have given Norway a strong chance to score. At that stage, Norway were already ahead and another goal could have put England under even greater pressure.The decision attracted criticism after the match, with frustrated fans flooding Sorloth’s social media accounts and questioning why he did not square the ball to his strike partner. England eventually found a late equaliser to force extra time. Norway’s challenge became even harder when Haaland was substituted in extra time. Shortly afterwards, Jude Bellingham scored what proved to be the winning goal, ending Norway’s historic run at the tournament. As things stand, there is no evidence that the missed chance has led to any social media fallout between Haaland and Sorloth. The viral unfollow story appears to have been created as a joke based on a moment that frustrated Norway fans during one of the biggest matches in the country’s football history.