US journalist dies at World Cup in Qatar; brother alleges foul play, says 'he was killed'

Grant Wahl, a US-based sports journalist's brother has alleged that Wahl, who went to cover the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, was murdered and has sought help. 

US soccer journalist Grant Wahl's bother alleges foul play in his death

On November 21, Wahl was detained and stopped to enter the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan as he was wearing a rainbow shirt in support of LGBTQ rights. Taking to Twitter, Wahl informed that the security confiscated his phone and asked him to remove the shirt as same-sex marriage is a criminal offence in Qatar, a conservative Muslim nation. After 25 minutes, Wahl was allowed to go by the security commander and he informed that FIFA apologised to him.

Two weeks after this incident, Wahl collapsed in his seat during the extra time of Argentina and Netherlands match at Lusail Iconic Stadium. The emergency services present at the stadium rushed and performed CPR on Wahl but he was declared dead.

Now, Wahl's brother Eric has released a video and has cited foul play in the journalist's death. In the video, Eric can be seen sobbing and asking for help, "My name is Eric Wahl and I am Grant Wahl's brother. I am gay and that's a reason he wore the rainbow shirt to the world cup. My brother was healthy. He told me he received threats. I do not believe my brother just died. I believe he was killed. I just beg for any help".

Wahl graduated from Princeton in 1996 and worked for Sports Illustrated from 1996 to 2021, known primarily for his coverage of soccer and college basketball. He then launched his own website. He is survived by his wife, Dr. Celine Gounder, an associate professor at New York University School of Medicine, attending physician at Bellevue Hospital Center and CBS News contributor. Gounder tweeted that she was thankful for the support of her husband’s “soccer family” and friends who had reached out. “I’m in complete shock,” she wrote.

U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price tweeted late Friday: “We were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Grant Wahl and send our condolences to his family, with whom we have been in close communication. We are engaged with senior Qatari officials to see to it that his family’s wishes are fulfilled as expeditiously as possible.”