Renowned soccer journalist Grant Wahl has died, the US Soccer Federation reported Friday. Wahl was in Qatar covering the World Cup when he died.
Wahl suffered a heart attack on Friday in the press box of the stadium where Argentina and the Netherlands played their quarterfinal matcha person familiar with the situation told CBS News. wahl had send several tweets during the game.
“The entire US soccer family is heartbroken to learn that we have lost Grant Wahl,” the US Soccer Federation said. said in a statement Friday night. “Soccer fans and top-quality journalism knew we could always count on Grant to deliver insightful and entertaining stories about our game and its main players.”
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Wahl had addressed his health on his Spotify podcast on Thursday, saying he had contracted bronchitis while in Qatar.
“I took some time off here,” Wahl told listeners. “We had two days off here with no games. Seventeen straight days of games and I think my body told me, even when America came out, ‘Dude, you’re not getting enough sleep,’ and it rebelled against me. So I had a case of bronchitis this week. I’ve been to the clinic’s medical center twice, including today. I feel better today. I basically canceled everything I had this Thursday, and took a nap, and I’m a little better. You can probably tell by my voice that I’m not 100% here.”
A prolific journalist, Wahl wrote for multiple outlets and was a contributor to CBS Sports. He was an analyst at CBS Sports HQ during the World Cup in Qatar and wrote guest columns focusing on the US Men’s National Team for CBS Sports. He was also an editorial consultant for soccer documentaries at Paramount +.
Wahl was also married to Dr. Celine Gounder, a CBS News medical contributor. gounder tweeted that he was “completely in shock” and thanked Wahl’s “football family” and friends for their support when the news broke.
Ned Price, a spokesman for the US State Department, said the agency was in communication with officials 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 said. tweeted. “We are engaged with senior Qatari officials to ensure that his family’s wishes are carried out as quickly as possible.”
“We are shocked, saddened and heartbroken by the tragic passing of Grant Wahl,” Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber said. tweeted. “He was a kind and caring person whose passion for soccer and dedication to journalism were immeasurable.”
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