Grant Wahl, 48, one of soccer’s preeminent journalists, died Friday while covering the World Cup in Qatar.
Colleagues reported that Wahl was in good spirits moments before he was stricken as he was covering a quarterfinal match between the Netherlands and Argentina.
Wahl’s brother posted an Instagram message that expressed doubts about how his brother died, according to the New York Post.
“My name is Eric Wahl. I live in Seattle, Washington. I am Grant Wahl’s brother. I’m gay,” he said in an Instagram video.
“I’m the reason he wore the rainbow shirt to the World Cup,” Eric said, referencing an incident during the week in which Grant Wahl was confronted by security forces for wearing a pro-LGBT shirt, but was eventually allowed into the stadium. Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar.
“My brother was healthy. He told me he received death threats. I do not believe my brother just died. I believe he was killed. And I just beg for any help,” he wrote on his account, which has since been made private.
Eric Wahl, the brother of sportswriter Grant Wahl who died in Qatar while covering the World Cup, is asking for help.
Grant was detained in Qatar for wearing a rainbow shirt two weeks ago pic.twitter.com/lak0b1UZwa
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) December 10, 2022
Grant Wahl had recently criticized Qatar’s government over its indifference to the deaths of migrant workers.
On the day before he died, Grant Wahl said he had bronchitis.
“My body I think told me, even after the U.S. went out, ‘dude, you are not sleeping enough.’ It rebelled on me. So I’ve had a case of bronchitis this week, I’ve been to the medical clinic at the media center twice now, including today,” he said on his podcast.
“I’m feeling better today I basically canceled everything on this Thursday that I had and napped. And I’m doing slightly better. I think you can probably tell in my voice that I’m not 100 percent,” he said.
Grant Wahl’s agent, Tim Scanlan, said the journalist “wasn’t sleeping well, and I asked him if he tried melatonin or anything like. He said, ‘I just need to like relax for a bit,’” according to The New York Times.
A fellow journalist expressed his shock at Grant Wahl’s death.
“I’m in shock. I was sitting next to him tonight. He was working on his story on his laptop, it was about 4 minutes before the end of the extra time, He was laughing at a joke we saw on Twitter only minutes earlier. I can’t believe it. My deepest condolences to Grant Wahl’s family,” Rafael Cores wrote on Twitter.
I’m in shock. I was sitting next to him tonight. He was working on his story on his laptop, it was about 4 minutes before the end of the extra time. He was laughing at a joke we saw on Twitter only minutes earlier. I can’t believe it. My deepest condolences to @GrantWahl’s family https://t.co/wnWlxY9L3l
— Rafael Cores (@rafacores) December 10, 2022
The Qatari Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy issued a statement saying it was “deeply saddened by the death of the US journalist Grant Wahl,” according to Fox News.
“Grant was known for his enormous love of football and was in Qatar to cover his eighth FIFA World Cup. He fell ill in the Lusail Stadium media tribune, during last night’s quarter-final match between Argentina v Netherlands,” the statement said.
“He received immediate emergency medical treatment on site, which continued as he was transferred by ambulance to Hamad General Hospital. We offer our deepest condolences to Grant’s family, friends and his many close colleagues in the media,” the statement said.
