American journalist Grant Wahl has died in Qatar while covering the fifa World Cup, US Soccer said in a statement.He died today in Doha, Qatar while covering the Argentina-Netherlands World Cup quarterfinal," an NPR reporter tweeted late on Friday.
My name is Eric Wahl. I live in Seattle, Washington. I am Grant Wahl's brother. I'm gay," he said in a video posted on Instagram. "I'm the reason he wore the rainbow shirt to the World Cup. My brother was healthy. He told me he received death threats. I do not believe my brother just died. I believe he was killed. And I just beg for any help."
At the start of the World Cup, Grant had said that the World Cup security denied him entry to the United States' opener against Wales at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan and asked him to take his rainbow shirt off. He said his phone was taken away when he tweeted about the incident.
It is still unclear whether Grant died at the hospital or during transport.
"We're still trying to find out," Eric said. "He collapsed at the stadium, was given cpr, was taken by Uber to hospital and died according to Celine. We just spoke with the state department and Celine has spoken to Ron Klain and the White House."
“The entire US Soccer family is heartbroken to learn that we have lost Grant Wahl,” said the statement, posted on the official US Soccer Twitter account. “Grant made soccer his life’s work, and we are devastated that he and his brilliant writing will no longer be with us.”
US Soccer praised Wahl’s passion and “belief in the power of the game to advance human rights,” and shared its condolences with Wahl’s wife, Celine Gounder, and his loved ones.
Gounder reposted the US Soccer statement on Twitter and wrote: “I am so thankful for the support of my husband Grant Wahl’s soccer family and of so many friends who’ve reached out tonight. I’m in complete shock.”
This is a developing story.