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Celebrated US sports journalist Grant Wahl suddenly passed away while covering the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. The news of his death comes two days after his 48th birthday and a few hours after he covered Argentina’s match against the Netherlands.
Weeks prior to his shocking passing, the journalist made news after he was detained for half an hour ahead of the USA’s opening match against Wales for wearing a rainbow-themed T-shirt. Wahl took to Twitter to share that security did not allow him to enter the stadium.
The reporter also mentioned that they asked him to change his shirt and said that LGBTQ-themed outfits were “not allowed.” He later assured his followers that he was fine and managed to enter the media center without changing his T-shirt.
Grant Wahl's tragic demise was confirmed in a short video posted on social media by his brother Eric, who suspected foul play was involved in his brother’s death.
Social media users were left in shock and urged authorities to launch an immediate investigation into the journalist’s passing.
What was Grant Wahl's cause of death?
On December 10, 2022, renowned American sports journalist Grant Wahl collapsed inside the press box of the Lusail Iconic Stadium in Doha while covering the Argentina vs. Netherlands FIFA match
Although no immediate cause of death was made available to the public, suspicions surrounding his mysterious passing rapidly surfaced online.
In the video posted by Wahl’s brother Eric, the latter mentioned that he lives in Seattle and is a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Eric said that he was the reason his brother wore a rainbow-themed shirt to the stadium on November 21:
“I’m the reason he wore the rainbow shirt to the World Cup.”
He further shared that his brother was healthy but mentioned that Wahl received death threats before his sudden demise. Eric also said that he believes his brother was murdered:
“My brother was healthy. He told me he received death threats. I do not believe my brother just died. I believe he was killed. And I just beg for any help.”
Eric added that he spoke to Wahl’s wife, Celine and that the latter told him that the journalist “collapsed at the stadium” while covering the match. He was reportedly given CPR and taken to a hospital but was pronounced dead at the scene.
“We’re still trying to find out. He collapsed at the stadium, was given CPR, was taken by Uber to hospital and died according to Celine (Grant’s wife).”
Grant Wahl’s family also spoke to the State Department about his mysterious death, and Celine reportedly had a conversation with President Joe Biden’s chief of staff Ron Klain as well as the White House.
Shortly after, U.S. Soccer issued a statement on Wahl’s passing and said the entire U.S. soccer family is “heartbroken” over the journalist’s death.
The team mentioned that Wahl’s “passion for soccer and commitment to elevating its profile” across the sporting landscape played a key role in “helping to drive interest in and respect” for the game in the U.S.
The statement also noted that Wahl’s “belief in the power of the game to advance human rights” would continue to be inspirational. Celine, Wahl's wife, also quoted U.S. Soccer on Twitter and thanked the family for their support.
In addition to the situation surrounding his rainbow T-shirt, Grant Wahl often criticized World Cup organizers for the alleged deaths and mistreatment of migrant workers behind making the infrastructure for the tournament.
In one of his latest articles, Wahl wrote that the Qatari World Cup organizers do not have any apathy toward migrant workers:
“They just don’t care. Qatari World Cup organizers don’t even hide their apathy over migrant worker deaths, including the most recent one.”
Reports suggest that the journalist also recently suffered from bronchitis and a lack of sleep and visited a medical center in Qatar twice. However, he said that he was “feeling better” in a podcast released just yesterday.
Twitter demands investigation while mourning the loss of Grant Wahl
Grant Wahl was considered to be one of the most prominent authors and sports journalists in the U.S. He is best remembered for his work as a sports analyst for CBS, a correspondent for Fox Sports, a senior writer for Sports Illustrated, and the author of The Beckham Experiment.
In the wake of his shocking and sudden demise in Qatar, several social media users took to Twitter to request authorities to investigate Wahl’s while mourning the tragic loss:
As tributes and requests continue to pour in online, it is certain that Wahl will be missed by his family, friends, readers, fans, colleagues, and the entire soccer fraternity in the U.S. and beyond. However, he will be remembered for his work by contemporaries and future generations alike.
