MARTIN MAZUR / AIPS – DOHA: “What just happened?”, tweeted Grant Wahl from the sixth floor of Lusail Stadium, moments after Netherlands had equalised in the World Cup thriller against Argentina. “Just an incredible designed set-piece by the Netherlands,” he added in another tweet. It would be his last.

Moments later, Wahl, one of the most illustrious and respected US soccer journalists, went into acute distress. His colleagues immediately started calling for assistance. You could see their shocked faces. It took a matter of seconds, less than 30, for paramedics to come.

The chairs of the media desks were immediately removed by other journalists, to give doctors space to work. Soon there was a stretcher ready for evac and an intravenous drip was placed next to his desk. While the game was on extra time, paramedics were there trying to save his life. More of them kept coming.

When the game went to penalties, all we knew was that medics were enacting CRP to a colleague. We didn’t know who he was, at the time. It was so difficult to all of us to focus on what was happening on the pitch, when someone was fighting for his life just metres away from where we were.

With a high sense of responsibility, no-one chose to tweet anything. Without knowing the facts, or the name of the journalist on the ground, it would have only created more anxiety for family members of the entire press. After the penalty kicks, and with more than 20 minutes assisting him, the journalist was taken on the stretcher upstairs and rushed to Hamad General Hospital.

Only a few hours later, we found the shocking and tragic news that Grant Wahl had died. His last Instagram post was thanking AIPS and FIFA for the Journalists on the Podium in which he was one of the 82 members of the press that received a special recognition for covering at least 8 men’s World Cups. Wahl, 48, had covered eight.

In his article of appreciation after the Journalists on the Podium event in collaboration with FIFA, he wrote: “The older I get, the more I appreciate being able to come to these World Cups and build relationships with media members from around the world. It’s a small but vibrant community. And while I’m not sure I’ll ever make it to 17 men’s World Cups like Enrique Macaya Márquez, damned if I’m not going to try. Check back with me in 2058.”

A real trailblazer in soccer reporting, both men’s and women’s, Wahl’s exquisite writing and in-depth reporting was read in Sports Illustrated, where he started working in 1996, until he was fired in 2020 whilst defending his colleagues that had been laid off or forced to accept unfair pay cuts.

He was a champion of inclusivity and an active defender of Human Rights and LGTBQ+ rights. He addressed the workers’ conditions of the FIFA World Cup, which he reported until two days ago. In Qatar, he had been stopped by security officers at Ahmad Bin Ali stadium and held for 20 minutes as he was wearing a black T-shirt featuring a rainbow, which, he was told, was a political message. Eventually, a security supervisor apologised and let him in.

Working for his own website GrantWahl.com and also reporting for CBS and NBC, plus his own podcast Futbol.com, Wahl had written in one of his articles that he hadn’t been feeling well. 

Wahl’s agent, Tim Scanlan, confirmed his death in a phone interview to The New York Times. “He wasn’t sleeping well, and I asked him if he tried melatonin or anything like,” Scanlan said. “He said, ‘I just need to like relax for a bit.’”

Wahl was writing daily articles and recording podcasts every other day from Qatar throughout the World Cup. In recent days, he had written about struggles with his health. What had seemed to be a common cold for more than a week, he wrote, had “turned into something more severe” last Saturday, when the United States played the Netherlands.

“I could feel my upper chest take on a new level of pressure and discomfort,” he wrote, adding that he had tested negative for the coronavirus. Medical officials in Qatar, he said, thought he had bronchitis. He was given cough syrup and ibuprofen, and felt better shortly afterward, he said.

Soon after the news of his passing came out, social media would be filled with messages of respect, condolences and tributes to Wahl’s powerful legacy, from dozens of colleagues and the US Soccer Team to LeBron James, whom he interviewed for his first cover story of Sports Illustrated.

“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,” wrote MLS Commissioner Don Garber on Twitter moments after his death.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino issued a statement in the morning of Doha. “Only some days ago, Grant was recognized by FIFA and AIPS (the International Sports Press Association) for his contribution to reporting on eight consecutive FIFA World Cups, and his career also included attendance at several FIFA Women’s World Cups, as well as a host of other international sporting events. His love for football was immense and his reporting will be missed by all who follow the global game,” started Infantino. “On behalf of FIFA and the football community, we express our sincerest condolences to his wife Céline, his family, and his friends at this most difficult time”.

Wahl’s immense legacy in soccer journalism and excellent reporting is yet to be measured. His absence is already felt.

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