LUSAIL, QATAR–Renowned American soccer writer Grant Wahl died early Saturday morning while covering the Netherlands-Argentina World Cup quarterfinal at Lusail Stadium. US media seated near him said Wahl fell back in his seat in the press box at Lusail Iconic Stadium during extra time and reporters adjacent to him called for assistance. Emergency services workers responded very quickly, the reporters said, and the reporters later were told that Wahl had died.
Wahl had been complaining of discomfort while covering the World Cup in Qatar for his website:
“My body finally broke down on me. Three weeks of little sleep, high stress and lots of work can do that to you,” Wahl wrote. “What had been a cold over the last 10 days turned into something more severe on the night of the USA-Netherlands game, and I could feel my upper chest take on a new level of pressure and discomfort.
“I didn’t have Covid (I test regularly here), but I went into the medical clinic at the main media center today, and they said I probably have bronchitis. They gave me a course of antibiotics and some heavy-duty cough syrup, and I’m already feeling a bit better just a few hours later. But still: No bueno.”
Wahl later said on his podcast that he visited the medical clinic on Thursday for bronchitis.
“I basically canceled everything on this Thursday that I had, and napped and and I’m doing slightly better that you can probably tell in my voice that I’m not at it at 100% here,” he said. “Hopefully I will not cough during this podcast. I’m coughing a lot. Everyone’s coughing here in like this is by no means limited to me like so many journalists have got a crazy cough. It sounds like a death rattle sometimes.
“The only thing that’s surprising to me actually is there isn’t that much COVID Here I thought there might be a real issue with that. We’re not really seeing COVID cases. We’re just seeing a lot of general sickness, coughing, colds, and I can’t wait to be on the other side of what I have. But I am going to be ready to go I’m attending on Friday.”
According to Johns Hopkins University’s COVID Resource Center, Qatar has had just under 11,000 confirmed cases over the past month compared to over 1.5 million confirmed cases in the USA and over the same time period.
Wahl wore a rainbow T-shirt in support of LGBTQIA+ rights to the United States’ World Cup opener against Wales on November 21st and wrote that security refused him entry and told him to remove the shirt.
Wahl wrote he was detained for 25 minutes at Ahmed Bin Ali stadium in Al Rayyan, then was let go by a security commander. Wahl said FIFA apologized to him.
The death of Wahl, 48, has shaken the entire American soccer community:
US Soccer Statement:
U.S. Soccer Statement On The Passing Of Grant Wahl: pic.twitter.com/CBp1mCK1mQ
— U.S. Soccer (@ussoccer) December 10, 2022
Major League Soccer also released a statement as did Commissioner Don Garber:
Statement from MLS on the Passing of Grant Wahl: pic.twitter.com/YTROTSKS9x
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) December 10, 2022
Grant was an important member of the soccer community for more than two decades, and he will be deeply missed. Our heartfelt condolences are with his wife Celine, his family and loved ones.
— Don Garber (@thesoccerdon) December 10, 2022
The North American Soccer Reporters, which Grant Wahl was a member, released the following statement:
NASR statement on the passing of our colleague Grant Wahl: pic.twitter.com/BXLr3sHSXA
— North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) (@soccerreporters) December 10, 2022
Wahl wrote for Sports Illustrated almost exclusively for soccer from 1996 to 2021 and was a contributor for Fox Sports from 2012 to 2019. He was covering his eighth World Cup.
He is survived by his wife, Dr. Celine Gounder, clinical associate professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine, attending physician at Bellevue Hospital Center and CBS News medical news contributor.
We at Prost Amerika and sister site Prost International send our deepest condolences and regards to Grant’s family and loved ones.
