American soccer journalist Grant Wahl dies at Qatar World Cup

Pioneering American soccer journalist Grant Wahl died Friday in Qatar while covering the World Cup. He was 49.

Wahl collapsed in the media area and died while covering a quarterfinal match between Argentina and the Netherlands, according to witnesses. His cause of death was not immediately reported.

“The entire U.S. Soccer family is heartbroken to learn that we have lost Grant Wahl,” the U.S. soccer federation said in a statement. “We thank Grant for his tremendous dedication to and impact on our game in the United States. His writing and the stories he told will live on.”

Two days into the tournament, on Nov. 21, Wahl was accosted by Qatari authorities for wearing a rainbow shirt to show support for the LGBT community. Same-sex relationships are illegal in Qatar.

“I am so thankful for the support of my husband Grant Wahl‘s soccer family & of so many friends who’ve reached out tonight,” his wife, Céline Gounder, wrote Friday night. “I’m in complete shock.”

On Monday, Wahl wrote about visiting a clinic for a mysterious illness.

“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,” he said.

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“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 became the top soccer writer at Sports Illustrated in 2000 and his relentless, well-rounded coverage of the sport made him possibly the most well-known soccer journalist in the U.S.

In 2009, Wahl wrote a book, “The Beckham Experiment,” about how David Beckham’s signing in MLS failed on the field but transformed American soccer off it. When Sports Illustrated launched a dedicated soccer section in 2013, Wahl was at the forefront.

When he joined Sports Illustrated, Wahl also covered college basketball. He penned the magazine’s Feb. 18, 2002, cover story that proclaimed LeBron James “The Chosen One.”

“Generous of spirit, a peerless journalist, Grant Wahl did more to inform and explain and celebrate the beautiful game than any other American. Ever. Full stop,” ex-ESPN journalist Bob Ley wrote. “His loss is incalculable to our profession. Prayers for his family.”

Wahl left Sports Illustrated in 2020 but continued covering soccer worldwide through a paid subscription site. One of his last posts on the site was about the death of a migrant worker in Qatar during the World Cup and the indifferent reaction of Qatari authorities.

With News Wire Services