Pioneering American soccer journalist Grant Wahl died Friday in Qatar while covering the World Cup. He was 48.
Wahl died while covering a quarterfinal match, according to a statement from U.S. Soccer. His cause of death was not immediately given.
“The entire U.S. Soccer family is heartbroken to learn that we have lost Grant Wahl,” the federation said in a statement. “We thank Grant for his tremendous dedication to and impact on our game in the United States. His writing and the stories he told will live on.”
Earlier in the tournament, Wahl was accosted by Qatari authorities for wearing a rainbow shirt to show support for the LGBT community. Same-sex relationships are illegal in Qatar.
Wahl became the top soccer writer at Sports Illustrated in 2000 and became possibly the most well-known soccer journalist in the U.S. He left Sports Illustrated in 2020 but continued covering soccer worldwide through a paid subscription site.
One of his last posts on the site was about the death of a migrant worker in Qatar during the World Cup and the indifferent reaction of Qatari authorities.
