US journalist covering FIFA World Cup passes away days after brief detention in Qatar
Grant, 48, collapsed while covering the quarterfinal match between Argentina and the Netherlands at the Lusail Iconic Stadium on Friday, his brother informed. He was briefly detained last month when he tried to enter a World Cup stadium in Qatar while wearing a rainbow shirt in support of the LGBTQ community in a country where same-sex relations are illegal.
FollowOne of the most well-known soccer reporters in the US, Grant Wahl, passed away on Saturday while covering Argentina vs. Netherlands in the World Cup of Football. Earlier, he had been detained in the host nation Qatar for wearing a rainbow jersey in support of the LGBTQ community. Grant's brother has alleged wrongdoing and stated that he thinks Grant "was killed."
At the Lusail Iconic Stadium on Friday, Grant, 48, apparently passed out while covering the quarterfinal game between Argentina and the Netherlands.
When Grant attempted to enter a World Cup stadium in Qatar last month while representing the LGBTQ community by donning a rainbow jersey in a nation where same-sex relationships are prohibited, he was momentarily detained.
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Former Sports Illustrated journalist Grant Wahl said that World Cup security forced him to take off his shirt and refused to let him enter the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan for the United States' opening match against Wales.
When he tweeted about the event, he claimed that his phone had been taken away. Eric, Grant's brother, said that the Qatari government could have been complicit in Grant's demise.
He declared in a video uploaded to Instagram, "My name is Eric Wahl. I reside in Seattle, Washington. I am Grant Wahl's brother. My brother was healthy. He told me he had death threats. I do not believe my brother just died. I believe he was killed. And I just ask for any help." He added, "I'm the reason he wore the rainbow jersey to the World Cup."
Wahl had also written on Monday that he had visited a hospital while in Qatar, adding that his body “finally broke down" on him due to three weeks of little sleep, high stress and a lot of work. US Soccer released a statement, saying they were “heartbroken" to learn of Wahl’s death.
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