A single World Cup blunder united the Blue Lock anime fanbase overnight after Norway’s Alexander Sørloth failed to pass to Erling Haaland, sparking a massive wave of memes. The moment occurred during Norway's 2-1 quarterfinal loss to England, perfectly mirroring the show's core clash of egoism versus teamwork.
In the 44th minute, while leading 1-0 on a 2-on-1 counter, Sørloth ignored a wide-open Haaland and opted for a weak, blocked shot. England later equalized and won in extra time.
Fans immediately flooded online communities with reactions. While some joked Sørloth was trying to be a "Blue Lock egoist," the consensus was that a true egoist plays with absolute confidence, whereas Sørloth simply froze—the exact "beta-mentality" that the character Jinpachi Ego despises.
Mocking posts clowned him with captions like "you are not Isagi," noting he lacked the "metavision" to pull off a solo play. Haaland's furious reaction looked straight out of a manga panel.