Who was Grant Wahl, the American journalist who died at the World Cup in Qatar: death casua and tributes

The death of Grant Wahl shook the world The critical American journalist of the realization of the Qatar World Cup 2022 passed away early this Saturday (local time) following an incident during the game between Argentina and the Netherlands.

Wahl He was one of the defenders and promoters in the American media, but also a critic of the realization of the World Cup, so the industry was hit hard by his death in a hospital in Doha.

The journalist’s brother, Eric Wahl, traveled to the Arabian country to transport Grant’s body to the United States to perform an autopsy and find out in detail the cause of his death.

In GOAL We tell you more about Wahl, the reports of his death and the tributes received Qatar 2022.

WHO WAS GRANT WAHL?

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Wahl was one of the icons of sports journalism in UNITED STATES, who began his career at The Miami Herald. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar was his eighth World Cup, which earned him recognition from the FIFA, with a recognition delivered by Ronaldo.

Grant Wahl worked for Sports Illustrated magazine and media outlets such as FOX Soccer, CBS Sports and NBC News, in addition to working on the production of the documentary ‘Good Rivals’, available on a well-known internet streaming platform, which chronicled the rivalry between Mexico and the United States at the national team level.

Wahl tried to run for FIFA presidency in 2011 against the likes of Sepp Blatter and Mohamed bin Hammam, but was not backed by more than 150 countries.

In support of his brother and the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, Wahl donned a rainbow shirt but was detained for over 20 minutes and banned from the United States’ debut against the Wales team.

He was later seen wearing the shirt while writing in the press room expressing his rejection of the verdict in Qatar, a conservative Muslim entity.

“We could always count on Grant to tell insightful and entertaining stories about our sport and its key players. Grant’s belief in the power of sport to advance human rights was and remains an inspiration to all. Grant has made football his life’s work and we are devastated that he and his brilliant staff are no longer with us.”or the Federation of the United States.

WHAT IS HE DIED?

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American reporters reported that Wahl had collapsed in his seat in the press box of the Lusail, forcing emergency services to be called. He was treated for about 30 minutes and was taken on a stretcher to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. However, relatives of the American journalist have pointed to other possible theories about his death.

“My body is finally confused. Three weeks of little sleep, a lot of stress and a lot of work pressure can do this to someone (…) What was a cold for the past 10 days turned into something more serious at night the game between the United States and the Netherlands, and I felt a new level of pressure and discomfort in the upper part of my chest,” Wahl said in a podcast during the World Cup matches in Qatar.

Finally, Wahl gave a final update on his health: “Today I went to the clinic at the press center and they said I might have bronchitis. They gave me a course of antibiotics and a strong cough syrup and I’ve been feeling better for a few hours. later. But I’m still not well.”

After the news was confirmed, Eric Wahl (Grant’s brother) traveled to the host country to examine his brother’s body, transfer it to the United States and perform an autopsy. Eric pointed out that Grant may have suffered a pulmonary embolism, but his deteriorating health prevented him from being resuscitated with a defibrillator.

Finally, Eric said FIFA’s qualified medical team had told him that they do have defibrillators in the stadiums, but “he feels humiliated” by the way Grant’s case was handled.

THE TRIBUTE