Renowned soccer journalist Grant Wahl died from an aortic aneurysm, his widow said Wednesday.
Dr. Celine Gounder cited an autopsy that was performed on Wahl, who collapsed and died Friday while covering the World Cup in Qatar. He was 49.
“Grant died from the rupture of a slowly growing, undetected ascending aortic aneurysm with hemopericardium,” Grounder posted to her husband’s Substack page Wednesday morning. “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.”
Wahl’s brother, Eric Wahl, posted a video to Instagram on Friday in which he shared his belief that Grant Wahl “was killed.” On Tuesday, he told the New York Post he regretted that comment.
“I regret the video,” he said. “I was in shock, and I just had limited information to go on.
“I’m especially sorry to any people in the Muslim world that I offended. It was never my intention,” he said.
Grant Wahl’s body was returned to the United States on Monday, and Gounder said the autopsy was performed by the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office.
“Grant arrived home Monday, December 12, and this transition was handled with the utmost care and sensitivity,” Gounder wrote. “This was an international matter that required coordination from multiple agencies domestically and internationally, and there was full cooperation from everyone involved. Our sincere gratitude to everyone involved in repatriating Grant, in particular the White House, the U.S. Department of State, FIFA, U.S. Soccer and American Airlines.”
Grant Wahl collapsed at Lusail Iconic Stadium while covering the Argentina-Netherlands match early Saturday morning, local time. He was immediately tended to by emergency staff and transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
He had complained of feeling ill in the days preceding his death but said he tested negative for COVID.
Gounder said a memorial service for Wahl is being planned.
–Field Level Media