As per the reports, the famous US Sports reporter Grant Wahl died during the quarterfinal match of the FIFA World Cup 2022. Well, fans love Grant for his unique and brilliant reporting skills, especially for his soccer game. However, the nation was still in shock when they heard about the shocking demise of Wahl. Soon everyone started writing on social media and sharing their views. Many believed that his death was fragmented and had something to do with his latest issue. Also, the reason why Wahl caught the limelight at the start of the world cup brought in one question. Is Grant Wahl gay? Keep reading to know more.
Early Life
Born on December 8, 1974, in Mission, US, Grant Wahl enrolled in Shawnee Mission East High School. He was an Eagle Scout during his school year. Later he graduated from Princeton University and studied Bachelor of Arts in Politics in 1996. During his freshman year, he covered an article on the Princeton Tigers men’s soccer team, where Bob Bradley coached him. Grant was supposed to manage the United States national team and Major League Soccer teams.
Later, Bradley offered Wahl an opportunity to study abroad in Argentina. He spent time there with Boca Juniors before returning to his country for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Wahl stated that Bradley encouraged him and appeared as the stepping stone in his life for developing his love for the sport.
Grant Wahl Career
Wahl started his career at the Miami Herald as an intern in 1996. After then, he joined Sports Illustrated, covering college soccer as well as basketball news in November 1996. In his career, he reported on eight FIFA men’s World Cups, 12 NCAA basketball tournaments, five Olympic games, and four FIFA Women’s World Cups. However, he gained fame for his cover story “Where’s Daddy?” where he covered professional athletes’ growing number of illegitimate children.
Since then, he has covered various profiles and stories on athletes. Soon the US Basketball Writers Association gave him four Magazine Story of the year awards. Later Sports Illustrated promoted him to the senior writer in October 2000. He then mostly covered soccer articles for both SI.com and the magazine. He covered 2002 articles on then-high school player LeBron James, including 50 cover stories for the magazine. In October 2012, Wahl joined FOX Sports as he participated in the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament coverage.
SI Fired Grant Wahl
The following year, SI launched a soccer section named “Planet Futbol,” with Grant handling the section. However, during the COVID-pandemic, CEO James Heckman fired Grant from Sports Illustrated after he criticized the magazine’s publisher, Maven, for the pay cuts during the pandemic. Shortly after, James criticized Grant’s work and behavior for not volunteering in the permanent pay cut. After leaving the company, the famous sports writer joined CBS Sports on October 5, 2021. There he joined as an analyst and soon became the editorial consultant for documentaries of soccer to air on Paramount+.
Wahl’s Independent Newsletter
Soon after joining CBS Sports, Wahl came up with his independent newsletter named Futbol with Grant on Substack for his existing podcast in August 2021. In 2020, he released a podcast on Freddy Adu’s career that Blue Wire Media later distributed.
Wahl Ran For President Of The FIFA
Back in February 2011, Wahl declared a possible bid for the president of FIFA in the forthcoming election. However, he withdrew before the official deadline. It happened after he failed to earn a football association’s endorsement. So he was forced to retreat as the process required the approval of around five associations.
Personal Life
Is Grant Wahl Gay?
Since Grant promotes and supports LGBTQ, fans questioned whether Grant Wahl is Gay. However, it was a rumor. Grant married Celine Gounder, an American Infectious Disease Specialist, Medical Journalist specialist. However, he had a brother named Eric Wahl, who was openly gay. On the other hand, Wahl lives with his wife, child, and two dogs.
The President of Honduras Apologized To Grant Wahl
In October 2009, Wahl went to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, to cover the fourth round of FIFA World Cup qualification of 2010. But while covering the news, someone robbed him in the daylight. At that time, he was interviewing interim Honduran president Robert Micheletti. He later apologized to him for this incident.
Grant Wahl’s Controversial Death
Detained While Reporting
While covering FIFA World Cup 2022, Wahl was caught in a serious issue. The Qatar government detained him for about 25 minutes as he wore a T-shirt featuring a rainbow in LGBT community support. So he was sent outside the stadium for his outfit. Meanwhile, another reporter for The New York Times got a brief detainment by Qatari officials for the same. He criticized Qatar organizing committee’s leader in his last issue on December 8, 2022, titled “They Just Don’t Care.” In this issue, he wrote about the leaders’ apathy toward the death of migrant laborers at the construction site.
Grant Died Amid Quarterfinal Match
While covering the quarterfinal match between the Netherlands and Argentina, Wahl suddenly fainted at the Lusail Iconic Stadium in the press box on December 9, 2022. Local paramedics rushed to treat him, and it took 30 minutes to treat him, including CPR, before shifting him to the local hospital, as per his wife’s statement. Wahl died a day after his 48th birthday. The reason behind his death remains unclear. However, days before his death, Wahl complained of chest discomfort. He also sought medical help, which told him that he could have bronchitis.
Wahl wrote before his death that his body finally broke down. Three weeks of high stress, little sleep, and work changed everything. He had been cold over the last ten days, which became more severe on the night of the game.”I could feel my upper chest take on a new new level of discomfort and pressure.” Wahl continued, “I went into the main media center today and they said I probably have bronchitis.” They gave him antibiotics, but it wasn’t a good help.
Eric Wahl Believed Grant Was Killed
Grant’s brother Eric Wahl revealed that his brother Grant had received death threats after his controversial issue. So he believed his brother was killed at the hand of the Qatari government officials. Eric mentioned that his brother was fully healthy and had no such health issues before the match. He said that murdering a journalist is a violation of human rights. If the ongoing investigations and autopsy find the government of Qatar is to be blamed, then as per the source, the United States could boycott the remaining tournament.
Further, his death was subject to medical negligence. It also suggests the lack of appropriate infrastructure to deal with a medical emergency. His fans quickly pointed out that Wahl sent to the nearby hospital by Uber, not by ambulance. So people questioned why there was no ambulance at that time. Moreover, Wahl mentioned that the medical care said he probably had severe bronchitis. Yet it never helped him.
Grant Wahl’s Net Worth
Grant is known for his best coverage of sports, especially soccer. According to the source, his net worth has estimated to be $11 million. After he joined FOX Sports, he got a lucrative offer. He earned an annual income of $64,577. However, despite being a popular sports writer, he died at 48, and his death still remained the big question.
What do you think did the Qatari government foul play behind Grant Wahl’s mysterious death? Has it something to do with Grant’s last issue? Comment down your thoughts below. Stay tuned. TechRadar247 will keep you updated.
