Grant Wahl, a US soccer writer, passed away early on Saturday while covering the Argentina vs. Netherlands 2022 World Cup quarterfinal game.
According to reports, the 49-year-old passed out in the press box at Lusail Iconic Stadium during extra time.
Emergency personnel responded extremely swiftly, but later, other reporters learned Wahl had passed away.
On Monday, Wahl posted on his website that he had been to a hospital in Qatar.
“I went into the medical clinic at the main media center today, but I didn’t have COVID (I test frequently here), and they said I probably have bronchitis.” After receiving an antibiotic course and some potent cough medicine, I started feeling a little bit better within a few hours. However, “No bueno,” he continued.
Wahl got a lot of attention during the World Cup because he said he was briefly stopped from getting into the US game against Wales on November 21 because he was wearing a rainbow-colored T-shirt in support of LGBTQIA+ people, whose rights are criminalized in Qatar, a conservative Muslim country.
He was momentarily held at the Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan before a security commander let him go. FIFA allegedly apologized to Wahl.
