Grant Wahl, longtime soccer writer, dies after collapsing in World Cup press box

Award-winning sportswriter Grant Wahl, best known for his work with Sports Illustrated and Fox Soccer, collapsed in the media tribune at Friday’s Argentina-Netherlands World Cup game. Paramedics treated Wahl for approximately 30 minutes before removing him from the stadium on a stretcher. He was later pronounced dead Saturday morning at a Qatari hospital. He was 48.

The cause of death, which was confirmed by U.S. Soccer, is unknown. In a statement U.S. Soccer called Wahl’s work “insightful and entertaining” and praised his devotion to the sport.

Qatar was Wahl’s eighth World Cup.

Wahl’s journalism career began with an internship at the Miami Herald in 1994; two years later he joined Sports Illustrated, for whom he covered seven World Cups and 12 NCAA basketball tournaments. He won four magazine story of the year awards from the U.S. Basketball Writers Assn., while his book “The Beckham Experiment” — on David Beckham’s move to the Galaxy — was a New York Times bestseller.

Wahl is survived by his wife, Dr. Céline Gounder, an infection disease specialist and a member of President Biden’s COVID-19 transition team, who confirmed his death on social media Friday.