Wahl, a former Sports Illustrated journalist who now publishes on Substack, said last month that he was momentarily arrested when he attempted to...
Digital Desk: US sportswriter covering the World Cup, Grant Wahl died on Friday in Qatar, said media outlet NPR and US Soccer.
"NPR can confirm the death of longtime soccer sportswriter Grant Wahl. He died today in Doha, Qatar, while covering the Argentina-Netherlands World Cup quarterfinal," an NPR reporter tweeted late on Friday. US Soccer said it was "heartbroken to learn that we have lost Grant Wahl."
Wahl, a former Sports Illustrated journalist who now publishes on Substack, said last month that he was momentarily arrested when he attempted to enter a World Cup stadium in Qatar while wearing a rainbow shirt in support of the LGBTQ community in a country where same-sex relations are prohibited.
He said in late November that World Cup security refused him access to the United States opening match against Wales at Al Rayyan's Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium and asked him to remove his shirt.
He also tweeted about the Netherlands-Argentina match earlier in the day on Friday. On Twitter, his wife expressed her "total shock" at the US Soccer statement.
Details surrounding his death were not fully known as the news emerged.
The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
