The American reporter was arrested at the start of the World Cup for trying to enter a stadium wearing a shirt with a rainbow flag. His brother berates that he was killed
Grant Wahl, a 48-year-old American journalist, died in Doha on Saturday after collapsing in the press box at Lusail Stadium during extra time of the Netherlands-Argentina match. The reporter was treated urgently in the same ward and received cardiopulmonary resuscitation before being transferred to a hospital with nothing being done to save his life. Wahl apparently had a heart attack.
The controversy came hours later, when Wahl’s brother denounced the murder of the journalist on social networks. According to him, his brother was killed because he tried to enter a first stage match wearing a shirt with the rainbow flag. Wahl then denounced that he had been detained by several security guards who took his cell phone and reprimanded him for wearing clothes with political messages. Since then, always the brother’s version, he would have received death threats.
Wahl worked for “Sports Illustrated” magazine as a football journalist for two decades. In 2020, he started writing on a portal with a paid subscription. As reported by several agencies, one of Wahl’s latest posts on this website was about the death of a migrant worker in Qatar during the World Cup and the indifferent response from local authorities.
It was the American Soccer Federation that reported the death via social networks: “We thank Grant for his tremendous dedication and impact on our game in the United States. His writings and the stories he told will live on.” Shortly afterwards, FIFA also issued a statement regretting the passing. “Just a few days ago, Grant was honored by FIFA and AIPS for his contribution to the coverage of eight consecutive FIFA World Cups. Her career also included attending several FIFA Women’s World Cups, as well as numerous other international sporting events. His love for football was immense and anyone who follows world sport will miss his coverage,” the statement read.
Wahl had revealed in a publication that he had been suffering from health problems for several days, as a result of which he was treated at the Doha press center clinic for an incipient bronchitis. “My body eventually collapsed. Three weeks of little sleep, a lot of stress and a lot of work can do that,” Wahl wrote. “What had been a cold for the past 10 days turned into something more serious on the night of the U.S. vs. Netherlands game, and I felt my upper chest getting a new level of pressure and discomfort,” he said before his death.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
