On Friday night, during the game between Argentina and the Netherlands, 48-year-old Grant Wahl passed out just as extra time began.
Initial accounts point to the possibility that he suffered a heart attack; however, this information has not yet been formally confirmed.
Mr. Wahl was arrested for a short period of time by officials in Qatar at the end of the previous month when he attempted to enter a stadium while wearing a rainbow shirt in support of LGBT rights.
The United States Soccer Federation issued a statement expressing how “heartbroken” it was by the news.
“Fans of soccer and journalism of the highest quality knew we could always count on Grant to deliver insightful and entertaining stories about our game, and its major protagonists,” it said. “We knew we could always count on Grant to deliver insightful and entertaining stories about our game and its major protagonists.”
Céline Gounder, the wife of Mr. Wahl, expressed her “total shock” in a tweet, adding that she was “very thankful” for the support she had received from friends. She also expressed her gratitude for the assistance she had received.
On Thursday, Mr. Wahl celebrated his 48th birthday with friends in Qatar, one day before he lost consciousness and collapsed. On Monday, he posted an update on his website stating that he had been sick for the past 10 days and that he was taking medication for what he believed to be bronchitis.
“My body finally gave up on me,” he wrote in his journal. “What had been a cold over the previous ten days transformed into something more severe on the night of the game between the United States of America and the Netherlands, and I could feel the pressure and discomfort in my upper chest increasing to a new level.
“I didn’t have Covid (I test frequently here), but I went into the medical clinic and the main media center today, and they stated that it’s likely that I have bronchitis,” I explained.
Mr. Wahl’s coverage of the game will be “missed by those who follow the global game,” according to Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, who praised Mr. Wahl’s “immense” passion for the sport of football.
A number of the most prominent journalists in the UK have expressed their condolences.
Henry Winter, the top football writer for the Times, recently gave an interview to BBC News in which he stated that the passing of Mr. Wahl signified a “desperate moment” for the profession and for football all across the world.
“Everyone who encountered Grant was immediately enthused by him,” he added. “Grant was just one of those people.” “He had such a strong devotion to the game, as well as a strong devotion to the industry.
“He promoted soccer in the United States; probably one of the reasons they’re going to be such good hosts of [the World Cup in four years’ time] is probably because of his passion, his writing, and his almost evangelical zeal to promote the sport in his homeland and to also get behind the men’s national team and the women’s national team,” said one commentator. “He promoted soccer in the United States.”
The commissioner of Major League Soccer, Don Garber, posted the following on Twitter: “We are stunned, devastated, and grieved over the unfortunate passing of Grant Wahl.” He was a warm and compassionate person who had an inexhaustible enthusiasm for the game of soccer and an unwavering commitment to the field of journalism.
Billie Jean King, a legend in the sport of tennis in the United States, also paid respect to Mr. Wahl by saying that he was “an advocate for the LGBTQ community and a major voice for women’s soccer.”
The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, the organization in Qatar that is in charge of arranging the World Cup, had a representative say the following: “We are very saddened by the loss of the American journalist Grant Wahl.”
“Grant was well-known for his tremendous passion for football, and he was in Qatar to cover his eighth Fifa World Cup.
“He became ill while he was sitting in the media tribune at Lusail Stadium for last night’s quarter-final play between Argentina and the Netherlands. He was given rapid emergency medical treatment at the scene, and this treatment continued even while he was being transported to Hamad General Hospital by ambulance.
“We are in contact with the United States Embassy and relevant local authorities to ensure that the procedure of repatriating the body is carried out in accordance with the desires of the family.”
Ronaldo, a hero of Brazilian football, gave Mr. Wahl a medal earlier this week in recognition of the fact that he has reported on eight consecutive World Cups, the first of which took place in the United States in 1994.
