CBS Sports soccer analyst Grant Wahl passes away while covering the World Cup — What was his cause of death and fortune?
On Friday, Dec. 9, 2022, CBS Sports journalist Grant Wahl tragically passed away at the age of 48 while covering the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. According to Grant’s own brother, Eric, the soccer analyst collapsed during the quarterfinals match between Argentina and the Netherlands and was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
But what was Grant Wahl’s cause of death? His brother suspects foul play.
What was Grant Wahl’s cause of death?
Prior to his passing, the famed sports journalist said on a recent episode of his podcast, Fútbol with Grant Wahl, that he had been suffering from bronchitis while covering the World Cup.
“My body told me, even after the U.S. [team was defeated], ‘Dude, you are not sleeping enough.’ It rebelled on me,” he revealed. He said he had visited a clinic at the World Cup media center twice and was starting to feel better.
While it’s possible that bronchitis had something to do with Grant’s passing, no official cause of death has yet to be revealed. However, his brother, Eric, believes that Grant was targeted for wearing a Gay Pride shirt in Qatar, a country whose strict anti-LGBTQ+ policies have been making headlines during the World Cup.
International attendees who have worn rainbow clothing have been refused entry into stadiums and confronted by locals. Grant, himself, detailed his own experience, writing on Twitter that “security detained [him] for 25 minutes for wearing a T-shirt supporting LGBTQ rights, forcibly took [his] phone, and angrily demanded that [he] remove [his] T-shirt to enter the stadium.”
Eric took to Instagram to share a video, in which he said he believes that his brother was purposefully killed for showing his support. Though the video has since been removed, Fox Sports reported that Eric said, “I am gay, I am the reason he wore the rainbow shirt to the World Cup. My brother was healthy; he told me he received death threats. I do not believe my brother just died. I believe he was killed, and I just beg for any help.”
“We’re still trying to find out [what happened],” Eric continued. “He collapsed at the stadium, was given CPR, was taken by Uber to the hospital, and died according to Celine [Grant’s wife]. We just spoke with the state department and Celine has spoken to Ron Klain and the White House.”
U.S. Soccer shared a touching statement about Grant Wahl’s passing.
Shortly after Grant’s death was announced, the U.S. Soccer organization shared a touching statement on Twitter.
“The entire U.S. Soccer family is heartbroken to learn that we have lost Grant Wahl. Fans of soccer and journalism of the highest quality knew we could always count on Grant to deliver insightful and entertaining stories about our game … Here in the United States, Grant’s passion for soccer and commitment to elevating its profile across our sporting landscape played a major role in helping to drive interest in and respect for our beautiful game,” they wrote.
“As important, Grant’s belief in the power of the game to advance human rights was, and will remain, an inspiration to all,” they added.
Grant’s wife, doctor and medical journalist Cèline Gounder, retweeted U.S. Soccer’s statement, thanking her husband’s supporters and saying that she is in “complete shock.”
How much was Grant Wahl worth?
Grant is one of the richest Writers and is listed as one of the most popular Writers. According to our research, Grant Wahl had an estimated net worth of $1.5 million to $5 million with a reported annual salary of $64,577 at the time of his death.
