American soccer writer Wahl died in the quarterfinals of the World Cup | Football news

Grant Wahl was at the Netherlands-Argentina match when he collapsed.

American soccer is saddened by the death of American soccer writer Grant Wahl, who died in Qatar while covering the World Cup.

According to a report by the Associated Press, Wahl, 49, collapsed while watching the Argentina-Netherlands quarterfinal from the press area at Lusail Stadium on Friday night.

Wahl, who was taken from the media section on a stretcher, was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Witnesses of the event said that doctors arrived quickly.

Wahls’ agent, Tim Scanlan, told the Reuters news agency that the reporter appeared to be suffering from some form of acute anxiety at the start of overtime.

“Everyone is emotional and it’s really traumatic,” Scanlan said. He was a true advocate for both the men’s and women’s games and really cared deeply about the sport. He was empathetic and a truly brilliant writer.

Wahl, who played in his eighth World Cup, had celebrated his 49th birthday on Wednesday.

He received immediate first aid at the scene, which continued when he was taken by ambulance to Hamad General Hospital, the World Cup organizing committee said in a statement, which did not specify the cause of death.

We are in contact with the US Embassy and relevant local authorities to ensure that the repatriation of the body is in accordance with the wishes of the family.

Celebrate my birthday tonight with a lot of media friends at the World Cup. No games today, but thanks everyone

Subscribe to GrantWahl.com (@GrantWahl) December 7, 2022

On Monday, Wahl posted on social media about his poor health, which required him to visit a health center in Qatar. He had thought that his grueling work schedule covering the World Cup had adversely affected his well-being.

My body finally broke down on top of me. Three weeks of little sleep, high stress and a lot of work can do that to you, Wahl wrote In the substack.

What had been a flu for the past 10 days turned into something more severe the night of the USA-Netherlands game, and I felt my upper chest take on a new level of pressure and discomfort.

Wahl added that he had tested negative for COVID-19, for which he had been regularly screened since arriving in Doha last month.

I went to the main media center medical center today and they said I probably have bronchitis, he added. They gave me a course of antibiotics and heavy cough syrup and I’m already feeling a little better after just a few hours. But still: No bueno.

The U.S. Soccer Association said Friday it was heartbroken by Wahl’s death.

We can always count on Grant to deliver insightful and entertaining stories about our game and its main protagonists,” the association said. opinion.

US Soccer’s statement on Grant Wahl’s passing: pic.twitter.com/CBp1mCK1mQ

US Soccer (@ussoccer) December 10, 2022

Wahl had worn a rainbow T-shirt in support of LGBTQ rights in the USA’s World Cup opener against Wales on the 21st. in November and wrote that security had denied him entry and told him to take his shirt off.

Wahl said FIFA later apologized to him for the incident, which he said saw him detained for 25 minutes before being allowed into the stadium.