Famed soccer journalist Grant Wall has died, the U.S. Soccer Federation reported Friday. Wall, 49, was in Qatar covering the World Cup when he died.
Wall’s agent, Tim Scanlan, said the journalist “appeared to have suffered some form of acute distress in the press room” at the stadium. Quarter final game between Argentina and the Netherlands, when the two teams started the game in overtime. Paramedics were called to the scene but were unable to revive him, Scanlan said.
Qatari authorities said in a statement that Wall “received immediate treatment at the scene, which continued with his transfer by ambulance to Hamad General Hospital.” The exact cause of death is not yet known.
Wall has been to tweet During this match which was part of the eighth edition of the World Cup he had covered.
“The entire U.S. Soccer family is heartbroken to learn that we have lost Grant Wall,” the U.S. Soccer Federation said. said in a statement Friday night “Football fans and journalism of the highest quality knew we could always count on Grant to deliver insightful and entertaining stories about our game and its protagonists.”
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Wall opened up about his health on his Spotify podcast on Thursday, saying he came down with bronchitis while covering the World Cup.
“I took some time off here myself,” Wall told listeners. “We had two days off here without a game. I played seventeen straight days and my body, I think, even when the US went out, said to me, ‘Dude, you’re not getting enough sleep,’ and rebelled against me. So I had a case of bronchitis this week. I’ve been to the medical center at the clinic twice now, including today. I’m better today. I basically canceled everything I had this Thursday and took a nap and I’m doing a little better. You can probably tell from my voice that I’m not 100% here.”
Scanlan told CBS News that Wall had an “aggressive plan” while in Qatar.
I asked, was it too much? And he said no, this is what he lived for and he loved the World Cup.” He had just won his eighth World Cup. He turned 48 yesterday. He was a celebrity chef and loved to entertain. . Twenty good friends who came to her apartment last night to celebrate.”
A prolific journalist, Wall wrote for several outlets and was a contributor to CBS Sports. He was an analyst for CBS Sports HQ during the Qatar World Cup and wrote guest columns for CBS Sports focusing on the US Men’s National Team. He was also an editorial consultant for soccer documentaries at Paramount+.
Wall was also married to Dr. Celine Gander, a CBS News medical contributor. Gondar He tweeted He was “in complete shock” and thanked Wall’s “football family” and their friends for their support as the news broke.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said the agency is in contact with Qatari authorities.
“We are deeply saddened to learn of Grant Wall’s death and offer our condolences to his family, with whom we have been in close contact,” Price said. He tweeted. “We are engaging with senior Qatari officials to fulfill his family’s wishes as soon as possible.”
Don Garber, Commissioner of Major League Soccer He tweeted: “We are shocked, saddened and heartbroken by the tragic passing of Grant Wall. He was a kind and caring person whose passion for football and commitment to journalism was immeasurable.”
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story used an incorrect age for Grant Wahl and has been updated to correct his age.
