U.S. journalist Grant Wahl died Friday in Qatar while covering a World Cup quarterfinal match, the U.S. Soccer Federation said.
The cause of his death has not transcended for the moment, however his brother has denounced through Instagram that the soccer journalist could have been murdered since days before he was approached by Doha authorities for wearing a t-shirt with the rainbow flag in support of the LGTBI community.
Wahl, 48, was one of the leading names in journalism covering soccer and for two decades was positioned as the sport’s top writer for Sports Illustrated, until 2020 when he switched to writing for a paid subscription portal.
One of Wahl’s last posts on this website dealt with the death of a migrant worker in Qatar during the World Cup and the indifferent reaction of local authorities.
The North American country’s soccer federation has conveyed that it is «heartbroken» to have lost this professional. «We thank Grant for his tremendous dedication and impact on our game in the United States. His writings and the stories he told will live on,» they wrote in the statement released on Twitter.
