Renowned soccer journalist Grant Wahl has died, the U.S. Soccer Federation reported Friday. Wahl, 48, was in Qatar protecting the World Cup when he handed away.
Wahl suffered a coronary heart assault Friday within the press field on the stadium the place Argentina and Netherlands performed their quarterfinal match, an individual aware of the state of affairs instructed CBS News. Wahl had despatched a number of tweets in the course of the match.
Wahl’s agent, Tim Scanlan, mentioned that the journalist “appeared to have suffered some sort of acute distress in the press room” when the 2 groups started enjoying in further time. Paramedics had been known as to the scene, Scanlan mentioned, however had been unable to revive him. He was delivered to “a nearby hospital,” however Scanlan was not sure how he was taken there.
“The entire U.S. soccer family is heartbroken to learn that we have lost Grant Wahl,” the U.S. Soccer Federation mentioned in a press release Friday night time. “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.”
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Wahl had addressed his well being on his Spotify podcast Thursday, saying that he had contracted bronchitis whereas protecting the World Cup.
“I took some time off here myself,” Wahl instructed listeners. “We had two days off here without games. Seventeen straight days of games and my body, I think, told me, even when the U.S. went out, ‘Dude, you are not sleeping enough,’ and it rebelled on me. So I’ve had a case of bronchitis this week. I’ve been to the medical center at the clinic twice now, including today. I am feeling better today. I basically cancelled everything on this Thursday that I had, and I napped, and I am doing slightly better. You can probably tell by my voice that I am not doing 100% here.”
Scanlan instructed CBS News that Wahl had an “aggressive schedule” whereas in Qatar.
“I asked, ‘Was it too much?’ and he said no, this is what he lived for, and he loved the World Cup,” Scanlan mentioned, referencing a dialog on Dec. 3, a few week earlier than Wahl’s dying. “He had just been recognized for his eighth World Cup. He had turned 48 yesterday. He was a noted chef and loved to entertain. Twenty good friends that came to his apartment last night to celebrate.”
A prolific journalist, Wahl wrote for a number of shops and was a CBS Sports contributor. He was an analyst on CBS Sports HQ all through the Qatar World Cup, and wrote visitor columns targeted on the U.S. males’s nationwide workforce for CBS Sports. He was additionally an editorial marketing consultant for soccer documentaries on Paramount+.
Wahl was additionally married to Dr. Celine Gounder, a CBS News medical contributor. Gounder tweeted that she was “in complete shock” and thanked Wahl’s “soccer family” and their buddies for his or her help because the news was reported.
Ned Price, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, mentioned that the company was in communication with officers in Qatar.
“We were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Grant Wahl and send our condolences to his family, with whom we have been in close communication,” Price tweeted. “We are engaged with senior Qatari officials to see to it that his family’s wishes are fulfilled as expeditiously as possible.”
Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber tweeted: “We are shocked, saddened and heartbroken over the tragic passing of Grant Wahl. He was a kind and caring person whose passion for soccer and dedication to journalism were immeasurable.”