A well-known U.S. football journalist who was recently detained for supporting LGBTQ+ rights has died while covering the World Cup in Qatar.
Grant Wahl, 48, collapsed as Argentina took on the Netherlands on Friday night. Wahl was transferred to Hamad General Hospital after falling ill in the press area, where he received “immediate medical treatment on site,” the body in charge of planning the tournament said. The cause of death is unclear.
In November, Qatari authorities briefly detained Wahl for trying to enter a stadium wearing a rainbow shirt, in support of LGBTQ+ rights. In a statement, the US Soccer Federation said it was “heartbroken” by the news.
In a tweet, Wahl’s wife, Céline Gounder, said she was in “complete shock.”
Wahl wrote on his website on Monday that he had been unwell in the last 10 days and was on a course of antibiotics for suspected bronchitis.