Known as the foremost authority on soccer in the United States, Grant Wahl was a prolific journalist. He covered the National Women’s Soccer League, Major League Soccer, and the U.S. men’s national soccer team, among other sports. He also wrote 50 cover stories for Sports Illustrated. In addition to his magazine work, he founded the Substack blog and newsletter.
A graduate of Princeton University, Wahl the senior writer for Sports Illustrated, where he wrote a column about the United States men’s national soccer team. He also worked as a correspondent for Fox Sports and CBS Sports. He is the author of “Masters of Modern Soccer,” a book that gives behind-the-scenes insight into the elite coaches of today’s top teams. In addition, he authored a memoir, “The Beckham Experiment,” which details the impact that David Beckham’s move to the United States had on American soccer.
He started writing about the game in high school, and began writing for the Miami Herald in 1994. He later worked as a writer for the Associated Press and ESPN before becoming a staff writer at Sports Illustrated in 1996. In 2002, he named as the magazine’s “Chosen One” after naming LeBron James as the cover subject. He then ran for president of FIFA, but failed to receive an endorsement.
2022 FIFA World Cup and Grant Wahl
In 2022, he was a contributing analyst for the CBS Sports HQ during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He collapsed while covering a quarterfinal match between Argentina and the Netherlands. Paramedics treated him for 30 minutes before he died. His brother, Eric, believes that there were some foul plays involved. Regardless, his death shocked fans and supporters from around the world.
His brother said that he was detained by stadium officials in Qatar last week because of a rainbow-colored T-shirt that he was wearing. He was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead there. At the time of his death, he was working on a podcast called “Futbol with Grant Wahl,” in which he analyzed soccer stories with co-host Chris Wittyngham.
During his time at the news magazine, he was a regular contributor to the CBS Sports program “SportsCenter.” He wrote guest columns on the U.S. men’s national team and the National Women’s Soccer League, and he edited several soccer documentaries for the company’s Paramount+ division. His wife, Celine, is a medical contributor for the CBS news network. She is also a clinical associate professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine.
During his career, he covered seven World Cups, 12 NCAA Tournaments, and numerous other sporting events. He was a member of the International Sports Press Association, and honored as a veteran journalist who covered at least eight World Cups. He also awarded a replica FIFA World Cup trophy by Ronaldo.
His death is an untimely loss to the world of sports journalism. While the cause is still unknown, tributes are pouring in from fans and sports commentators. During his career, he devoted much of his attention to soccer, and it is obvious that he will missed.
