Grant Wahl’s body reaches US as second journalist dies at World Cup in Qatar
American journalist Grant Wahl’s body arrived back on US soil on Monday following his death in Doha, as news on another reporter dying at the World Cup surfaced over the weekend.
A State Department official told Al-Monitor that Wahl’s remains landed at New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport at approximately 8:30 a.m. Monday. The official said the US government appreciated the cooperation from Qatari officials in repatriating his body.
Another journalist died covering the World Cup on Saturday. The Doha-based news outlet Gulf Times reported that Khalid al-Misslam, a photojournalist for the Qatari sports network Alkass, “died suddenly.” No further details were provided about his death.
Alkass is owned by the Qatari government.
A second journalist dies in Qatar whilst covering the #WorldCup. Photojournalist Khalid al-Misslam from Qatari news channel Al Kass TV passed away on Saturday; a day before that, US soccer journalist Grant Wahl, 48, collapsed at the match between Argentina and the Netherlands. pic.twitter.com/yy7tXdQl8B
— Monica Grayley (@MonicaGrayley) December 11, 2022
Wahl died Friday night while covering the Argentina-Netherlands game. He had been complaining of cold symptoms and chest pain in the days in the days before his death.
Wahl, a veteran sports journalist, had been reporting extensively on the world soccer tournament. Some of his work was critical of Qatar, the first country in the Middle East to host the World Cup. On Dec. 8, the day before he died, Wahl wrote about the foreign workers who died while building stadiums in preparation for the World Cup.
“Qatari World Cup organizers don’t even hide their apathy over migrant worker deaths,” wrote Wahl on Substack.
Wahl also stirred controversy when he tried last month to enter the stadium hosting the US-Wales match wearing a rainbow t-shirt in solidarity with LGBTQ people. Wahl was initially denied entry, but was ultimately allowed in. A security guard and FIFA apologized to Wahl, he reported.
The rainbow flag is controversial in the Gulf. Qatar, like other Gulf states, criminalizes same-sex sexual activity. Qatar’s record on LGBTQ rights has been heavily scrutinized during the World Cup.
There was some speculation on social media that Wahl was killed in Qatar. Wahl’s brother, Eric, posted a video on Instagram in which he said. “I believe he was killed” and that Wahl had received death threats. The brother later made his Instagram private.
Popular Qatari commentator Abd Al-Aziz Al-Khazraj Al-Ansari celebrated Wahl’s death, calling him a “pig” in a video.