Over 100,000 hate comments and death threats sent to Alexander Sørloth and his partner after one missed chance in a quarterfinal. A Colombian player too scared to return home after his penalty miss. A popular fan account driven off social media by a Reddit group dedicated to exposing his identity. This World Cup has been extraordinary on the pitch. Off it, something else entirely.
Freddy, an anonymous American soccer fan who built a genuine following through his World Cup content, deactivated his X account two weeks ago. He's back now, just ahead of the semifinals, but his explanation for leaving says everything about where online football discourse has landed.
"The main reason I deactivated my account two weeks ago was that things became increasingly toxic," he wrote. "For some people, it's unfortunately unfathomable that a good story can exist without some kind of hidden agenda behind it. There was even a Reddit group going through my entire account trying to find anything they could use to reveal my identity."
He came back because supporters showed up for him. That's the better part of the story. But the fact that a fan sharing opinions about football matches needed to go dark to protect his privacy tells you plenty about the environment right now.
Sørloth and Campaz: When Hate Crosses Into Something Worse
The player abuse is where things get genuinely disturbing. Norway's quarterfinal exit against England — a 2-1 defeat after extra time — turned on a specific moment just before halftime. Sørloth ignored Haaland during a 2-on-1 counterattack, shot, and John Stones blocked it. England equalized in stoppage time. They scored again in extra time. Norway went home.
That's football. One decision, one blocked shot, a tournament over. Sørloth and his partner Lena Selnes then received more than 100,000 hate messages and death threats. For a quarterfinal exit.
Jáminton Campaz had it no better after Colombia's round of 16 loss to Switzerland on penalties. His missed chance proved costly, and the abuse that followed was severe enough that Campaz was reportedly afraid to return to Colombia. His federation was forced to step in and publicly condemn the threats against him and his family.
What This Means Beyond the Headlines
This isn't a new problem, but the scale during this World Cup feels different. The tournament's reach amplifies everything — the highs and, clearly, the lows. Players are already carrying the weight of national expectation across 90 minutes. The idea that missing a shot should also mean fearing for your family's safety isn't a football debate. It's a law enforcement one.
Colombia's federation said it clearly: soccer should never become an excuse for violence and hate. That statement shouldn't need to be made. The fact that it does, repeatedly, during a World Cup that has produced some of the best football in years, is the detail that sticks.
Freddy's back online. Sørloth and Campaz are still living with the aftermath. The semifinals kick off, the spectacle continues — and for the people at the center of the ugliest moments, the final whistle didn't end anything.
