A renowned American football journalist passed away while covering the World Cup in Qatar. As the game between Argentina and the Netherlands entered extra time on Friday, Grant Wahl, 48, passed out. He may have had a heart attack, according to early reports, although this has not yet been formally verified.
In favor of LGBT rights, Mr. Wahl attempted to enter a stadium last month and was briefly held by Qatari officials. The US Soccer Federation expressed its "heartbreak" over the news in a statement.
The statement said, "Fans of soccer and high caliber
journalism knew we could always depend on Grant to bring enlightening and
entertaining pieces about our game, and its key characters.
Mr. Wahl's wife, Céline Gounder, wrote in a tweet that she was "completely in shock" and expressed her gratitude for the support from friends.
A day before he passed away, Mr. Wahl celebrated his
48th birthday with friends in Qatar on Thursday. On Monday, he posted on his
website that he had been ill for the previous 10 days and was taking medication
for what he believed to be bronchitis.
He wrote, "My body finally gave up on me."
"On the night before the USA-Netherlands game, what had been a cold for
the previous ten days morphed into something more serious, and I could feel my
upper chest take on a new degree of pressure and agony.
Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, praised Mr. Wahl's "immense enthusiasm" for the game and stated that his reporting will be "missed by everyone who follows the worldwide game." Numerous UK journalists have paid tribute. Mr. Wahl was referred to as a "great journalist" by Piers Morgan and a "wonderful man" and "giant of the press box" by Henry Winter of the Times.
"Grant Wahl was a known and enormously regarded
journalist, and the avalanche of condolences is proof to the reverence in which
he was held," BBC Sport's Dan Roan tweeted.
Don Garber, the commissioner of Major League Soccer,
wrote on Twitter that his organization was "shocked, devastated, and
heartbroken" by Grant Wahl's unfortunate demise. He was a kind individual
with a love for soccer and a commitment to journalism.”
Billie Jean King, a legendary tennis player in the
US, praised Mr. Wahl as well, calling him "an champion for the LGBTQ
community and a major voice for women's soccer."
The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, the
Qatari organization in charge of organizing the World Cup, released the
following statement after Grant Wahl's passing: "We are extremely grieved
by his passing.
"Grant was in Qatar to cover his seventh Fifa
World Cup and was well known for his fervent passion of sport.
"He became unwell while watching Argentina vs.
Netherlands last night at the Lusail Stadium media tribune. On-site emergency
medical care was provided right away, and it continued until he was transported
by ambulance to Hamad General Hospital.