By Nicholas Ojo
US sportswriter Grant Wahl, who was covering the FIFA World Cup 2022, has passed away in Qatar on Friday, his family confirmed.
The 49-year-old is said to have collapsed in the press box at Lusail Iconic Stadium during extra time and died early Saturday.
Wahl, who is a former Sports Illustrated journalist, had been tweeting about the Netherlands-Argentina match earlier on Friday.
The Times and other media outlets, according to Reuters, have been reporting that the US sportswriter collapsed while covering the second quarterfinal yesterday.
His agent, Tim Scanlan, told the New York Times that Wahl had gone into acute distress in the final minutes of the quarterfinal.
The US Soccer Federation responded by saying they were heartbroken to hear the news of Wahl’s death in Qatar.
“The entire US Soccer family is heartbroken to learn that we have lost Grant Wahl.”
Wahl wrote on his website on Monday that he had visited a medical clinic in Qatar.
“I didn’t have Covid (I test regularly here), but I went into the medical clinic at the main media centre 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,” he said.
Wahl drew international attention during the World Cup, after saying he was briefly stopped from attending the US match against Wales on November 21 for wearing a rainbow-coloured T-shirt in support of those who identify as LGBTQIA+, as their rights are criminalized in Qatar, a conservative Muslim nation.
He was detained briefly at the Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan before he was released by a security commander. Wahl said FIFA apologized to him.