Soccer analyst Grant Wahl has died while covering the World Cup in Qatar, just days after his 48th birthday.
Wahl’s wife, Dr. Celine Gounder, confirmed his death on Twitter Friday night, writing she was in “complete shock.” Gounder also expressed gratitude for the “soccer family & of so many friends who’ve reached out tonight.”
Wahl, a sports journalist for CBS Sports and author of the GrantWahl Substack column, was in Qatar covering his 12th World Cup tournament – seven men’s tournaments and five women’s tournaments.
A cause of death has not been shared.
MLS commissioner Don Garber said Wahl “will be deeply missed.”
“We are shocked, saddened and heartbroken over the tragic passing of Grant Wahl. He was a kind and caring person whose passion for soccer and dedication to journalism were immeasurable,” Garber tweeted. “Grant was an important member of the soccer community for more than two decades.”
U.S. Soccer also issued a statement Friday.
“The entire US soccer family is heartbroken to learn that we have lost Grant,” the statement read. “Fans of soccer and journalism of the highest quality knew we could always count on Grant to deliver insightful and entertaining stories about our game and its major protagonist: teams, players, coaches and the many personalities that make soccer unlike any sport. Here in the United States Grant’s passion for soccer and commitment to elevating its profile across our sporting landscape played a major role in helping to drive interest in and respect for our beautiful game.”
The statement concluded: “We thank Grant for his tremendous dedication to and impact on our game in the United States his writing and the stories he told will live on.”
Earlier Friday, Wahl shared several Instagram Stories from Lusail Stadium, where Argentina defeated the Netherlands in a penalty shootout to advance to the semifinals.
Wahl was among the journalists honored in Qatar by the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) and FIFA for covering eight or more men’s World Cups.
Wahl rang in his 48th birthday Tuesday.
“Celebrated my birthday tonight with a great group of media friends at the World Cup. No games today, but very thankful for everyone,” he tweeted.
Born in Mission, Kansas, Wahl attended Princeton University for a journalism degree. Wahl covered the Princeton Tigers men’s soccer team during his first year at the university. The team was coached by Bob Bradley, who went on to coach in Major League Soccer and the United States men’s national team.
Wahl spent a summer studying abroad in Argentina in 1994 with the Boca Juniors sports club, an opportunity presented to him by Bradley.
“By that time, I’d started to get really into the sport and the idea of covering it,” Wahl recalled in a 2015 interview. “I learned so much from Bob Bradley, he was amazing.”
Wahl landed a job straight out of college at Sports Illustrated, which he described as a dream. He worked there for 24 years.
“I got a subscription to Sports Illustrated as a Christmas present from my parents when I was 10 and that became my bible. I read that magazine cover to cover every week, it was in my mailbox on a Thursday,” Wahl recalled in a 2015 interview. “I remember telling my friends in high school that I wanted to write for Sports Illustrated someday.”
Story Credit: usatoday.com