(Trends Wide) — American journalist Grant Wahl died in Qatar while covering the World Cup, US Soccer said in a statement.
“The entire US Soccer family is heartbroken to learn that we have lost Grant Wahl,” said the statement, posted on the official Twitter account of the entity. “Grant made football his life’s work, and we are devastated that he and his brilliant writing will no longer be with us.”
A witness told Trends Wide that the reporter “collapsed” in the press area while covering the Argentina-Netherlands match in the World Cup.
US Soccer praised Wahl’s passion and “belief in the power of the game to advance human rights.” He also shared his condolences with Wahl’s wife, Celine Gounder, and his loved ones.
For her part, Gounder posted US Soccer’s statement on Twitter, writing: So grateful for the support of my husband @GrantWahl from the soccer family and so many friends who have reached out tonight. I am in complete shock.”
Wahl had previously covered the football font for the magazine Sports Illustratedincluding 11 World Cups, and has written two books on the sport, according to his website.
Hours earlier this Friday, Wahl tweeted about the quarterfinal match between Argentina and the Netherlands.
Grant Wahl, pictured on October 10, 2014. Credit: Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images
State Department spokesman Ned Price said Friday that he is in “close communication” with Wahl’s family. “We are 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,” the official posted on Twitter. “We are engaged with senior Qatari officials to ensure that the wishes of his family are fulfilled as quickly as possible.
Wahl complained of “chest tightness”
Grant Wahl complained of “chest tightness” and said he sought help at the World Cup medical clinic during an episode of “Football with Grant Wahl,” published on December 6, four days before his death.
“Like it’s gotten a lot worse in terms of the tightness in my chest, tightness, pressure. It felt like a very scary, bad thing,” Wahl told co-host Chris Wittyngham.
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The journalist sought help at the medical clinic in the World Cup press center, believing he had bronchitis. He was given cough syrup and ibuprofen, and soon after he felt better, he said.
Wahl said he experienced an “involuntary surrender of my body and mind” after the game between the United States and the Netherlands on December 3.
“This is not my first World Cup. I’ve done eight of these on these men’s side. And so, I’ve gotten sick to some degree every tournament, and it’s just about finding a way that allows you to do your job.”
A previous incident in Qatar
Trends Wide reported in November that Wahl and former Wales captain Laura McAllister said security staff at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium before the USA’s game against Wales had asked them to remove their team colors. of the rainbow
On that occasion Wahl said he was held up and briefly denied entry to the game because of the “rainbow soccer ball jersey” he was wearing. As posted on Twitter, security staff had told him, “You have to change your shirt. It’s not allowed.”
The journalist wrote on his website that when he tweeted about the incident on his phone, “a guard forcibly ripped my phone out of my hands.”
“I was told by a security guard that my T-shirt was ‘political’ and not allowed,” Wahl wrote. “Another repeatedly refused to give me my phone back. Another guard yelled at me while he was on top of me, already sitting on a chair, that I had to take my shirt off.”
After the incident, Wahl indicated that he was released 25 minutes after being arrested and that he received an apology from a FIFA representative and a senior member of the stadium’s security team.
Wahl told Trends Wide on November 22 that he had been assured in advance that he would be allowed to wear the rainbow garment and that he would “probably” wear the shirt again, as he has “no fear at all about any of this.”
When asked about representing the LGBTQ community, Wahl said, “It’s really important to me and it’s not necessary, far from it.”
“I have family members who are gay. I have friends who are gay. I have journalist friends who are gay and who are here in Qatar. But you don’t need that to be supportive, to be an ally.”
Reporting by Trends Wide’s Teele Rebane in Hong Kong
