US soccer writer Grant Wahl dies in Qatar while covering World Cup match

Grant Wahl, one of the vital revered American sports activities journalists and maybe the nation’s best-known writer on soccer, died early on Saturday while covering the World Cup match between Argentina and the Netherlands in Qatar.

Wahl is claimed to have collapsed while in the media sales space at Lusail Iconic Stadium throughout further time, and couldn’t be revived.

The journalist was covering his eighth World Cup, and made headlines earlier in the event when he mentioned he was refused entry to a sport for sporting a rainbow T-shirt.

Wahl’s agent Tim Scanlan advised the New York Times that the sportswriter had gone into acute misery in the ultimate minutes of the quarter-final match, which he was covering from press part in the higher stands of the stadium.

The journalist had written about his well being struggles on the event earlier this week. On Monday, he mentioned that he had visited a hospital after his physique “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.”

His spouse Celine Gounder mentioned she was in a “complete shock”. “I am so thankful for the support of my husband Grant Wahl’s soccer family & of so many friends who’ve reached out tonight,” she wrote on Twitter.

US Soccer mentioned it was “heartbroken to learn” of Wahl’s loss of life.

“Fans of soccer and journalism of the highest quality knew he could always count on Grant to deliver insightful and entertaining stories about our game, and its major protagonists: Teams, players, coaches and the many personalities that make soccer unlike any sports,” it mentioned in a press release.

“His writing and the stories he told will live on.”

Wahl mentioned he was briefly detained in November when he tried to enter a stadium in Qatar sporting a rainbow shirt in assist of the LGBT+ neighborhood. He alleged the safety at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan denied him entry to the US opener towards Wales and requested him to vary his shirt.

Wahl was amongst 82 journalists honored by Fifa and the worldwide sports activities press affiliation AIPS for attending eight or extra World Cups.

A 1996 graduate of Princeton, Wahl labored for Sports Illustrated from 1996 to 2021, recognized primarily for his protection of soccer and school basketball.

US state division spokesperson Ned Price mentioned the administration is in shut communication with Wahl’s household.

“We are engaged with senior Qatari officials to see to it that his family’s wishes are fulfilled as expeditiously as possible.”

Additional reporting by companies