Tribute to Wahl: A giant screen on Saturday displays a photo of United States journalist Grant Wahl who died after he collapsed in the stadium’s press area while covering the match between Argentina and Netherlands during the Qatar 2022 World Cup quarterfinal football match between England and France at the Al-Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, north of Doha. (AFP/Anne-Christine Poujoulat)
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eading American sports reporter Grant Wahl, who last month had a run-in with Qatar's World Cup organizers over a rainbow lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) shirt, died while covering a tense quarterfinal match on Friday, his family said.
Wahl, 48, helped build soccer's popularity in the United States through his vivid reporting for Sports Illustrated, CBS Sports and other media.
Wahl collapsed in the press tribune during Friday's Argentina-Netherlands game. The Wall Street Journal said he suffered a suspected heart attack.
Wahl's wife Celine Gounder, a renowned epidemiologist, said on Twitter: "I'm in complete shock."
A Qatar organizing-committee spokesperson said Wahl "received immediate emergency medical treatment on site, which continued as he was transferred by ambulance to Hamad General Hospital”.
"We offer our deepest condolences to Grant's family, friends and his many close colleagues in the media," the statement added.
A bouquet of white flowers was placed on what would have been Wahl's press seat at Al Bayt Stadium for Saturday's quarterfinal between France and England. A tribute to the reporter was shown on a giant screen at the stadium.
World Cup 'stress'
In their statement, organizers did not mention an incident just before the Nov. 21 group match between the United States and Wales when Wahl was stopped as he entered the stadium for wearing a rainbow shirt in support of LGBTQ rights.
Qatar criminalizes homosexuality and Wahl said security guards told him the shirt was "political".
Widespread tributes were paid to the journalist who had been covering his eighth World Cup, starting with the 1994 tournament in the US.
"His love for football was immense and his reporting will be missed by all who follow the global game," FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a statement.
"Grant made soccer his life's work, and we are devastated that he and his brilliant writing will no longer be with us," US Soccer said.
The "entire US soccer family is heartbroken”, it added.
"Fans of soccer and journalism of the highest quality knew we could count on Grant to deliver insightful and entertaining stories about our game, and its major protagonists: Teams, players, coaches and […] many personalities that make soccer unlike any sport."
Wahl said in his subscription newsletter earlier this week that he had gone to a clinic at the media center in Qatar, "and they said I probably have bronchitis”.
"My body finally broke down on me. Three weeks of little sleep, high stress and lots of work can do that to you […] I could feel my upper chest take on a new level of pressure and discomfort," he wrote.
With some antibiotics and "some heavy-duty cough syrup" Wahl said he was "feeling a bit better just a few hours later. But still: No bueno".
Wahl joined Sports Illustrated, then the leading US sports publication, in 1996 to report on soccer. He remained at the magazine until 2020, joining CBS Sports a year later.
He also had a subscription email newsletter, and was posting to that during the World Cup. He was recently among journalists honored by the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) for their work.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price tweeted: "We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Grant Wahl" and added that US authorities have been "in close communication" with his family.
