Grant Wahl, American Journalist Covering World Cup in Qatar, Dies at 48

Grant Wahl, an American sports journalist who was in Qatar covering the World Cup, has died. He was 48. 

Wahl’s wife Dr. Celine Gounder and his brother, Eric Wahl, confirmed his death via social media. 

“I am so thankful for the support of my husband @GrantWahl’s soccer family & of so many friends who’ve reached out tonight,” Celine tweeted. “I’m in complete shock.” 

Wahl, who had garnered a reputation as one of the country’s most established soccer journalists, was reporting on the World Cup for his Substack and serving as an analyst for CBS Sports. On his Substack earlier this week, Wahl reported that he went to a local medical center after feeling unwell.

“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,” Wahl wrote, adding that he had tested negative for COVID. “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.”

Wahl collapsed in the press box during Saturday’s Argentina-Netherlands game, and was declared dead after being removed on a stretcher.

On Nov. 21, while covering World Cup in Qatar, Wahl shared in an article on his Substack page that he was refused entrance into a stadium for USA’s game against Wales because he was wearing a rainbow shirt.  

He said that he was detained and that security demanded that he remove the shirt. Same-sex relationships are illegal in Qatar, and Wahl said in his article that he wore the shirt in support of the LGBTQ+ community. 

During the incident, Wahl took to Twitter, saying “Just now: Security guard refusing to let me into the stadium for USA-Wales. “You have to change your shirt. It’s not allowed.” 

According to his Substack article, he was eventually allowed in the stadium wearing the shirt. Wahl later followed up in another Tweet, adding, “I’m OK, but that was an unnecessary ordeal. Am in the media center, still wearing my shirt. Was detained for nearly half an hour. Go gays.” 

In a video shared to his Instagram account, Eric said that he is gay and is the reason Grant wore the shirt to the World Cup. 

In a statement reacting to Wahl’s death, the U.S. Soccer Federation said that “Grant’s passion for soccer and commitment for elevating its profile across our sporting landscape played a major role in helping to drive interest in and respect for our beautiful game.”  

“As important, Grant’s belief in the power of the game to advance human rights was, and will remain, an inspiration to all,” the statement continued. 

Wahl previously worked for Fox Sports and NBC Sports, and also served as a producer on the Amazon Prime Video docuseries Good Rivals, which debuted just two weeks ago. 

But it was at Sports Illustrated where Wahl began chronicling the sport. A veteran of the magazine for more than two decades, Wahl left SI in 2020 after it had been acquired by The Maven. 

Wahl wrote more than three dozen cover stories for the magazine, including the February 2002 cover story that introduced America to a young high school basketball star named LeBron James (“The Chosen One” was the cover line). 

His final Substack report, dated Dec. 8, took sharp aim at the Qatar World Cup organizers, leading with the line “they just don’t care.”

“Qatari World Cup organizers don’t even hide their apathy over migrant worker deaths, including the most recent one,” he added recounting how a Filipino migrant had died during the games.

Christy Piña and Carly Thomas contributed to this story.