Days after being detained by security personnel for wearing a rainbow-coloured T-shirt during the match between the United States and Wales in Qatar, US journalist Grant Wahl passed away under mysterious circumstances on Saturday (December 10).
Prior to his death, the soccer journalist was covering the Quarter Final match between Argentina and the Netherlands at the Lusail Iconic Stadium. Reportedly, he collapsed during the extra time segment of the match and could not be revived.
Wahl had covered 8 world cups to date. “Just an incredible designed set-piece goal by the Netherlands,” he posted his last tweet at 2:35 am (IST) on Saturday.
Just an incredible designed set-piece goal by the Netherlands.
— Subscribe to GrantWahl.com (@GrantWahl) December 9, 2022
Complaints about deteriorating health
In a substack newsletter dated Tuesday (December 6), Grant Wahl informed his subscribers about his deteriorating health. “My body finally broke down on me. Three weeks of little sleep, high stress and lots of work can do that to you,” he had written.
“What had been a cold over the last 10 days turned into something more severe on the night of the USA-Netherlands game, and I could feel my upper chest take on a new level of pressure and discomfort,” the soccer journalist pointed out.
“I didn’t have Covid (I test regularly here), but I went into the medical clinic at the main media center today, and they said I probably have bronchitis. They gave me a course of antibiotics and some heavy-duty cough syrup, and I’m already feeling a bit better just a few hours later. But still: No bueno,” he emphasised.
On a podcast posted yesterday, Grant does share he was under the weather pic.twitter.com/CbYAC1XYyC
— JACK SETTLEMAN (@jacksettleman) December 10, 2022
My brother got death threats: Eric Wahl
In an Instagram post, Eric Wahl informed that his brother Grant Wahl had received threats to his life. “I am gay. I am the reason he wore the rainbow shirt (representative of the LGBTQ+ community) to the World Cup,” he was heard as saying.
While hinting at foul play, Eric pointed out, “My brother was healthy. He told me that he received death threats.” He further emphasised, “I do not believe that my brother just died. I believe he was killed. And I just beg for any help.”
After the video of his Instagram post went viral, the deceased journalist’s brother turned his public account (@eewahl) to private.
This is a video posted to the Instagram account of Eric Wahl, saying that he is Grant Wahl’s brother.
— Jeanna Trotman (@JeannaTrotmanTV) December 10, 2022
In the video, he said he is the reason Grant wore the rainbow shirt to the World Cup & that he believes Grant was killed. (Instagram: @eewahl) pic.twitter.com/krOoXuSjVc
Grant Wahl criticised Qatar over the treatment of migrant labourers
In his last substack newsletter on Friday (December 9), Grant Wahl slammed the Qatari World Cup organisers for their lack of empathy towards migrant labourers.
“They just don’t care. Qatari World Cup organizers don’t even hide their apathy over migrant worker deaths, including the most recent one,” he wrote.
The soccer journalist had criticised Nasser Al-Khater, the CEO of the Qatari Supreme Committee, for downplaying the death of a Filipino migrant worker (which was initially brushed under the carpet).
NEW: World Cup Daily, Day 25. They just don’t care. Qatari World Cup organizers don’t even hide their apathy over migrant worker deaths, including the most recent one.https://t.co/WEKoMdSm3J
— Subscribe to GrantWahl.com (@GrantWahl) December 8, 2022
While speaking to the BBC, Naseer had said, “We’re in the middle of a World Cup, and we have a successful World Cup. And this is something that you want to talk about right now?”
Detention of Grant Wahl for supporting LGBTQ+
On November 21 this year, Grant Wahl was detained by security personnel for wearing a rainbow-coloured T-shirt to the Ahmad bin Ali stadium during the match between the United States and Wales.
He wore the T-shirt to express solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. Grant Wahl was initially stopped by a security guard and asked to remove his shirt. His phone was confiscated while he tried tweeting about the incident.
The journalist was detained for about 25 minutes during which he was told that his rainbow-coloured T-shirt was ‘political’ in nature. During his detention, the security personnel also inquired whether he was from the United Kingdom.
Just now: Security guard refusing to let me into the stadium for USA-Wales. “You have to change your shirt. It’s not allowed.” pic.twitter.com/TvSGThMYq8
— Subscribe to GrantWahl.com (@GrantWahl) November 21, 2022
“One of the security guards told me they were just trying to protect me from fans inside who could harm me for wearing the shirt … A Fifa representative later apologized to me as well,” wrote Wahl in his Substack newsletter.
He further added, “But the entire episode left me wondering: What’s it like for ordinary Qataris who might wear a rainbow shirt when the world isn’t watching here? What’s that like?”
Wahl’s sudden and untimely death has now brought the spotlight on the possibility of a foul play.
