World Cup Headlines | Sorloth's Partner Also Targeted by Online Abuse; Neymar Asks Fans for Forgiveness

Sorloth's Partner Also Targeted by Online Abuse

On July 12, Norwegian media VG reported that after Norway's elimination from this World Cup, the backlash was directed not only at forward Alexander Sørloth, but also at his partner, Lina Sælnes, who was likewise subjected to severe online abuse.

During the World Cup quarterfinal in which Norway lost 1–2 to England, Norway had a prime counterattack with a two-on-one advantage in the attacking third, but Sørloth chose to shoot himself rather than pass to Erling Haaland, squandering the chance to extend the lead to 2–0. The team was ultimately overturned and eliminated by England.

After the match, a large number of angry fans flooded Sørloth's social media comments to vent their frustration; the latest post had already garnered over 100,000 comments, most of them abusive.

Yet the fury did not stop at Sørloth himself. His partner, Lina Sælnes, also received a flood of malicious comments. Sælnes is a well-known Norwegian dancer and public figure, and she publicly responded to the wave of online abuse on social media.

Sælnes wrote on social media: "The World Cup and football have brought a lot of joy, but also a lot of hatred. I didn't want to give these remarks any attention, but after seeing comments like these, I felt I had to say something."

She then shared screenshots of some of the extreme comments directed at Sørloth, while also calling for restraint: "I hope that no matter the situation, everyone will think a little more about others before posting comments like these."

After the match, Sørloth himself also addressed that crucial chance. He said: "I controlled the ball for a moment, looked up and saw John Stones blocking the passing lane. The only thing I wanted to do was pass to Haaland, but I felt that lane wasn't open, so I chose to shoot." When asked how he felt in the moment, he replied: "It's heavy. With something like this, you wish you could have done better."

Neymar Tells Fans: All I Can Do Is Ask for Forgiveness

On July 12, Brazilian star Neymar publicly apologized while replying to a fan on social media, admitting that he had failed to help the team as he had hoped.

Brazil were eliminated in the round of 16 after a 1–2 loss to Norway at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, exiting the tournament regretfully. A Brazilian fan posted a photo on social media showing a modified tattoo—originally he had the word "2026" inked beneath a depiction of the World Cup trophy, but now he had crossed it out in red and changed it to "2030".

The detail quickly drew attention and also moved Neymar. He commented on the post: "The only thing I can do is ask for forgiveness, because I didn't provide the help I had hoped to."

At this World Cup, the 34-year-old Neymar did not see much playing time during the group stage. Against Norway in the knockout round, he came on as a substitute in the 67th minute and converted a penalty in stoppage time to pull the score back to 1–2. Yet the goal could not change Brazil's fate of elimination. After the match, Neymar knelt on the ground in tears—a moving scene.

It is worth noting that Neymar's apology also drew a heartwarming reply from that fan, who responded: "It's not your fault, legend."

However, not all fans chose to forgive. After Brazil's elimination, Neymar was photographed at Universal Studios Orlando with his family, sparking dissatisfaction among some fans. One fan bluntly said: "The whole country is still in mourning, yet he is out enjoying life." Others even questioned whether the tears he shed at elimination were sincere.

The Times: Balogun's Suspension Reprieve Decided by a Single Person

On July 13, The Times reported that the controversial decision to defer the suspension of U.S. forward Folarin Balogun was made entirely by Mohammad Al Kamali, chairman of FIFA's Disciplinary Committee, acting alone; none of the other 17 committee members were asked to participate in the case.

Balogun was sent off with a red card for a serious foul against Bosnia and Herzegovina and would normally have faced an automatic suspension. But FIFA subsequently announced that the suspension would be deferred for one year, allowing Balogun to play in the United States' match against Belgium. This marked the first time since the introduction of the automatic red-card suspension rule at the World Cup that a suspension has been lifted.

The Times pointed out that this ruling runs counter to the practice of all previous World Cup disciplinary cases. According to the outcomes of more than 100 past cases that have been made public, major cases are typically reviewed jointly by three committee members, and Chairman Al Kamali had never before served as the sole decision-maker. Yet in this case—despite its significance—Mohammad Al Kamali made the decision alone.

Other senior figures in football have also questioned why FIFA refused to publish the written reasoning behind the Balogun ruling, and would not even explain why Balogun's suspension was waived—further deepening the opacity of the case.

It is reported that when The Times sought comment from FIFA regarding Al Kamali's decision to act alone without involving other committee members, FIFA did not respond.

Vinícius Clears Real Madrid References from Social Media

On July 12, Brazilian star Vinícius Júnior made a surprising move on his 26th birthday: he changed his personal social media avatar to an all-black image, and at the same time, his social media profile no longer contained any content related to Real Madrid.

Journalist José Padilla noted that Vinícius's latest dozen or so social media posts are all about the Brazilian national team and commercial promotions. Among the first four rows of content on his profile, there are no photos or videos of him wearing the Real Madrid jersey. However, older images of Vinícius from his Real Madrid days remain.

This unusual move quickly drew widespread attention and speculation from media and fans. Notably, July 12 was not only Vinícius's birthday but also the eighth anniversary of his joining Real Madrid. The club posted his photo on social media to send birthday wishes, but Vinícius did not appear to respond.

Before the World Cup kicked off, the contract renewal negotiations between Vinícius and Real Madrid drew considerable outside attention, but the two sides had still not finalized a new deal by the end of the tournament. Earlier, Spain's Marca reported that communication between the two parties was essentially complete and a formal meeting to finalize the renewal was expected at the end of July. Yet Vinícius's move to switch his avatar to all black and clear out Real Madrid–related content has led many in the media to believe it may be a signal—that his future with Real Madrid could be in flux.

Translator's note: This is an abridged translation of the first ~1,960 characters of the original Chinese report (the Sørloth, Neymar, Balogun, and Vinícius sections). The concluding section on the Senegalese chef was omitted as it fell beyond the 2,000-character limit.