Grant Wahl, a well-known American journalist, has passed away in Qatar after collapsing while covering the World Cup, sending shockwaves across the sports community.
He “collapsed” while reporting the Argentina-Netherlands game on Friday, a witness told CNN.
It’s unclear what exactly happened to cause his death.
US Soccer released a statement on its official Twitter account, saying, “The entire US Soccer family is heartbroken to learn that we have lost Grant Wahl.”
“We are heartbroken that Grant, and his excellent writing, will no longer be with us. Grant made soccer his life’s work.”
US Soccer expressed their sympathies to Wahl’s wife, Celine Gounder, and other family members while praising Wahl’s drive and “conviction in the power of the game to improve human rights.”
Absolutely bone chilling stuff
Soccer journalist Grant Wahl who was kicked out of a stadium in QATAR for this shirt has reportedly collapsed and passed away during the Argentina game today
His brother says on Instagram that Grant was fully healthy & believes there’s foul play pic.twitter.com/t47C2XfuVl
— JACK SETTLEMAN (@jacksettleman) December 10, 2022
The US Soccer statement was retweeted by Gounder, who added the following message: “I am so grateful for the support of my husband Grant Wahl’s soccer family and of so many friends who’ve contacted out tonight. I’m totally stunned.
According to his website, Wahl had covered soccer for more than 20 years, including 11 World Cups. He wrote for Sports Illustrated for a very long time and has written two books about the game.
Just a few days before his passing on December 6, he voiced his discomfort in an edition of the podcast Futbol with Grant Wahl.
“The pressure, stiffness, and tightness in my chest had gotten really awful. In the broadcast, Wahl told co-host Chris Wittyngham, “I’m feeling very hairy, awful. He said, “I thought I had bronchitis, so I went to the medical clinic in the World Cup media center.”
He was given ibuprofen and cough medicine, and he claims to have felt better soon after.
A “voluntary capitulation by my body and mind,” according to Wahl, occurred following the US-Netherlands match on December 3.
This is not my first experience. At the time, he stated, “I’ve completed eight of these on the men’s side. I’ve been somewhat ill in every tournament, so it’s just a matter of trying to figure out how to finish your task.
In a recent newsletter that was released on December 5, he went on to further detail the occurrence, claiming that his body had “broken down” as a result of lack of sleep, excessive levels of stress, and a demanding job.
He claimed that after suffering from a cold for ten days, it “developed into something more severe,” and that he felt better after taking medication and getting some rest.
Ned Price, a spokesman for the US State Department, said the agency was in “close communication” with Wahl’s family.
Read More:
