Grant Wahl, Journalist Detained at World Cup for Wearing Rainbow Shirt, Dies

A U.S. medical examiner has determined that Wahl, 48, died of an ascending aortic aneurysm that had gone undetected.

By John Riley on December 15, 2022 @JRileyMW

Grant Wahl – Photo: Grant Wahl, via Substack.

Grant Wahl, a journalist who made headlines after being detained by security for wearing a shirt featuring a soccer ball on a rainbow background to a World Cup match, died last Friday while covering the international soccer tournament.

Wahl, 48, reportedly fell ill in the press box at Lusail Iconic Stadium during extra time of the match between Argentina and the Netherlands and could not be revived.

Last Monday, he wrote on his Substack that “My body finally broke down on me,” prompting him to visit a medical clinic in Qatar.

“Three weeks of little sleep, high stress and lots of work can do that to you,” Wahl wrote. “What had been a cold over the last 10 days turned into something more severe on the night of the USA-Netherlands game, and I could feel my upper chest take on a new level of pressure and discomfort.”

Wahl reported that he had tested negative for COVID-19, and had received antibiotics and cough syrup to treat what was diagnosed as bronchitis. He said he felt a bit better with those treatments but still felt under the weather.

According to CNN, after Wahl fell ill, he received “immediate medical treatment on site” for about 20-25 minutes, according to World Cup organizers. He was then transported via Uber to Hamad General Hospital.

Wahl’s brother, Eric, who is gay, posted a video message on Instagram shortly after receiving news of his brother’s death, speculating that there may have been foul play and asking for help.

“I do not believe my brother just died,” Eric Wahl said. “My brother was healthy. He told me received death threats.”

Part of what may have led Eric to believe his brother was targeted was the attention he received after being detained by security last month while trying to enter the Nov. 21 United States-Wales World Cup match while wearing a rainbow soccer ball T-shirt supporting the LGBTQ community.

During that incident, Grant Wahl reported on his Substack that security guards had demanded he remove his T-shirt to enter the stadium, but he refused. Guards said the shirt was “political” and not allowed in the stadium. Wahl refused. Eventually, a security commander relented and allowed him to enter wearing the T-shirt.

“One of the security guards told me they were just trying to protect me from fans inside who could harm me for wearing the shirt,” Wahl reported. “But the entire episode left me wondering: What’s it like for ordinary Qataris who might wear a rainbow shirt when the world isn’t watching here? What’s that like?”

A representative for FIFA, the international governing body of soccer, later apologized to Wahl for the incident, but Wahl received a great deal of criticism and even death threats for wearing a symbol signifying support for the LGBTQ community in a country where homosexuality is criminalized. The very decision to allow Qatar to host the World Cup despite its hostility towards human rights generally, and the LGBTQ community specifically, has been criticized by liberals and Western nations.

Eric Wahl told the Kansas City Star that he appreciated Grant’s decision to wear the shirt, which was in support of Eric, his husband, and other LGBTQ people, even though he feared his brother would face backlash for the demonstration. He has since said he regrets posting the video speculating about his brother’s death, but does not regret calling for transparency regarding the circumstances that led to it — especially given the threats Grant had received and his critical reporting on Qatar’s record of human rights.

Dr. Céline Gounder, Grant’s wife, reported on Wednesday that her husband had been autopsied by the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office after his body was shipped back to the United States, arriving stateside on Dec. 12. That medical examiner’s office later determined the cause of Wahl’s death to be a rupture of an ascending aortic aneurysm with hemopericardium — also known as an accumulation of blood in the sac around his heart — which had gone undetected, Gounder wrote in a statement on Wah’s Substack.

“The chest pressure he experienced shortly before his death may have represented the initial symptoms. No amount of CPR or shocks would have saved him. His death was unrelated to COVID. His death was unrelated to vaccination status. There was nothing nefarious about his death,” Gounder wrote.

Such aneurysms become more common as people age, and are typically more common among men than women, according to the American Heart Association. Factors like genetics, inherited conditions, high blood pressure, sudden injury, high cholesterol, or a history of smoking may all contribute to aneurysms like the one suffered by Wahl, reports CNN.

“First and foremost, on behalf of myself and our family, I want to express our deepest gratitude for the outpouring of support, love, and sympathy from around the world,” Gounder wrote in a brief obituary reflecting on her husband’s life. “While the world knew Grant as a great journalist, we knew him as a man who approached the world with openness and love.

“Grant was an incredibly empathetic, dedicated, and loving husband, brother, uncle, and son who was our greatest teammate and fan,” Gounder added. “We will forever cherish the gift of his life; to share his company was our greatest love and source of joy.”