Renowned American sports journalist Grant Wahl, who was assigned to cover the 2022 FIFA World Cup™ in Qatar, died suddenly during Friday’s match between Argentina and the Netherlands in Doha.
The sad news was confirmed by the American soccer federation, a few hours following the conclusion of the match.
Wahl, who had just celebrated his 48th birthday on December 2, worked at the Mondial as an analyst for CBS Sports, following being hired by Sports Illustrated et FOX Sports in the past.
American media seated near him reported that Wahl was struck during the media tribute at Lusail Iconic Stadium during extra time, and might not be revived.
According to American radio NPR, he collapsed in the press box as the match drew to a close. Medical personnel practiced first aid before carrying her away on a stretcher.
Wahl was covering his eighth World Cup. He wrote on Monday that he visited a hospital while in Qatar.
“I went to the main media center medical clinic today, and they said I probably had bronchitis. They gave me a course of antibiotics and cough syrup, and I already feel a little better a few hours later. But still: ‘No bueno’,” he wrote.
A 1996 Princeton graduate, Wahl worked for SI from 1996 to 2021, best known for his coverage of soccer and college basketball.
As of 4:05 p.m. EST, the reporter was still tweeting his reactions to the game unfolding before his eyes.
Wahl was married to Dr. Celine Gounder, a noted infectious disease specialist who has appeared on television several times during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am completely in shock,” she tweeted.
Expelled from the stadium
Earlier in the tournament, Grant Wahl reported being kicked out of a stadium in Qatar for wearing a tee-shirt showing the rainbow logo in support of the LGBTQ+ community, a symbolic gesture that Qatari security guards had seen as an affront to the values of their people.
Same-sex relations are criminalized in Qatar.
He had since confided that he had been the target of numerous death threats since he told the story of his fate.
He was also one of the most critical reporters towards the Qatari organizers for their total indifference towards the conditions of the migrant workers who worked on the construction of the various stadiums.
“They just don’t care. The organizers of the World Cup in Qatar do not even try to hide their insensitivity to the deaths reported among the workers, the most recent of which, “he wrote as a hook to a text published on his page. SubstackThursday, a few hours following having obtained an interview with Nasser Al-Khater, the executive chief of operations at the World 2022.
“We are always looking for answers. He collapsed at the stadium, received cardiac massage, was taken to hospital in an Uber and pronounced dead,” Eric Wahl wrote on Instagram.
The announcement of his death sparked many reactions around the world.
“Soccer fans and top-notch journalism knew Grant might be counted on to deliver insightful and thrilling stories regarding the sport and its greatest protagonists: teams, players, coaches and all those people who make football a sport apart,” noted US Soccer.
