USA Soccer Sportswriter Grant Wahl has died covering the World Cup in Qatar 2022
Grant Wahl, a longtime sportswriter for soccer, passed away on Friday while covering the quarterfinal between Argentina and the Netherlands at the 2022 World Cup in Doha, Qatar.
NPR journalist Tom Goldman heard a disturbance in the press box at Lusail Stadium as the game was coming to a close. Wahl fell as the media dispersed.
He was in the dining area when paramedics arrived and started CPR. After many minutes, they took him on a stretcher while doing CPR with an automated chest compressor.
Both Wahl's wife and brother gave NPR confirmation of his death. He was 48.
Grant Wahl frequently appears on NPR to talk about the intricacies of soccer and his passion for the game.
Wahl was refused entry into a World Cup stadium in Qatar in November due to the fact that he was sporting a rainbow t-shirt, as NPR previously reported.
Wahl said that a stadium security guard rejected him, "You need to change your clothing. It's not permitted."