Princeton Mourns Death Of Sports Journalist Grant Wahl '96 At Qatar World Cup

PRINCETON, NJ — Respected soccer journalist Grant Wahl, a 1996 Princeton graduate, died after collapsing during a World Cup match he was covering in Qatar on Friday.

Wahl celebrated his birthday Wednesday, turning 48 according to NPR. He was covering his eighth World Cup, working for CBS Sports following a long career with Sports Illustrated and a seven-year stint with FOX Sports.

U.S. media members said he collapsed during the quarterfinal match between Argentina and the Netherlands in extra time. Paramedics performed CPR before arranging for him to be taken to the hospital, according to the Associated Press.

Wahl's wife, 1997 Princeton grad Céline Gounder, and brother Eric have confirmed his death on social media. His cause of death has not been released; Wahl had Tweeted earlier this week that his body "broke down" after three weeks of "little sleep, high stress, and lots of work," and he visited a medical clinic in Qatar.

“They gave me a course of antibiotics and some heavy-duty cough syrup, and I’m already feeling a bit better just a few hours later. But still: No bueno,” he wrote.

The World Cup organizing committee said he was taken to Doha's Hamad General Hospital, but it did not state a cause of death. “We are in touch with the US Embassy and relevant local authorities to ensure the process of repatriating the body is in accordance with the family’s wishes,” it said in a statement.

Wahl also had his own website, where he covered the storied tournament as well as the migrant worker deaths, human rights abuses, and bribery allegations that have overshadowed it. He made international headlines after being detained for wearing a rainbow shirt to one of the matches in Qatar earlier in the tournament. Same-sex relationships are criminalized in Qatar, a conservative Muslim nation.

His brother Eric said Wahl had received death threats in an Instagram post, and called for more investigation into Wahl's death.

Princeton University shared a photo of Wahl on Saturday and said the university is mourning his loss.

"He made an indelible mark on the soccer world and beyond, and leaves behind a legacy of journalistic integrity and conviction," the university said in a Facebook post. "We are thinking of his wife Dr. Celine Gounder '97 and his family during this difficult time."

Wahl had recently contributed to the Alumni Weekly, writing an article highlighting American soccer coach Jesse Marsch's success in the English Premier League.

Wahl is survived by Gounder, who is an associate professor at New York University School of Medicine, an attending physician at Bellevue Hospital Center and a CBS News contributor. She was also a member of President Joe Biden's COVID-19 advisory board.

Gounder tweeted that she was thankful for the support of her husband's “soccer family” and friends who had reached out.

“I'm in complete shock," she wrote.

Tributes poured in from U.S. soccer fans, sportswriters, and from around the world, remembering his dedication to covering women's soccer and his work reporting on human rights issues. He covered multiple World Cups, Olympic Games, and NCAA basketball tournaments.

Wahl also launched a campaign to run for FIFA president in 2011, saying an outsider was needed to change how soccer's global governing body does business.

U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price tweeted late Friday: “We were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Grant Wahl and send our condolences to his family, with whom we have been in close communication. We are engaged with senior Qatari officials to see to it that his family’s wishes are fulfilled as expeditiously as possible.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.