Soccer journalist Grant Wahl died of ruptured blood vessel at World Cup, post-mortem reveals

By Robert Murray Last updated Dec 14, 2022

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Grant Wahl died of a ruptured blood vessel when he was stricken whereas overlaying a World Cup match final weekend, in keeping with an post-mortem of the well-known American soccer author.

Wahl’s spouse, Dr. Celine Gounder, mentioned Wednesday that an post-mortem was carried out by the New York Metropolis Medical Examiner’s Workplace.

“Grant died from the rupture of a slowly rising, undetected ascending aortic aneurysm with hemopericardium,” she wrote on her husband’s web site, referring to the wall that surrounds the guts. “The chest stress he skilled shortly earlier than his dying could have represented the preliminary signs. No quantity of CPR or shocks would have saved him. His dying was unrelated to COVID. His dying was unrelated to vaccination standing. There was nothing nefarious about his dying.”

Wahl, who was 49, was stricken within the media tribune of Lusail Iconic Stadium in Qatar early Saturday throughout additional time in Argentina’s quarter-final match in opposition to the Netherlands. Emergency staff instantly attended to him and handled him for 20 to half-hour earlier than taking him away on a stretcher, reporters in his neighborhood mentioned.

On behalf of myself and our household, I wish to specific our deepest gratitude for the outpouring of help, love, and sympathy from world wide. Here’s a message from our household and the most recent replace surrounding our beloved Grant:<a href=”https://t.co/jPsggW6gfd”>https://t.co/jPsggW6gfd</a>

—@celinegounder

His physique was transported to New York.

“This transition was dealt with with the utmost care and sensitivity,” Gounder wrote. “This was a world matter that required coordination from a number of companies domestically and internationally, and there was full cooperation from everybody concerned. Our honest gratitude to everybody concerned in repatriating Grant, specifically the White Home, the U.S. Division of State, FIFA, U.S. Soccer and American Airways.”

Wahl had complained in the course of the World Cup about feeling sick.

“My physique lastly broke down on me. Three weeks of little sleep, excessive stress and many work can try this to you,” Wahl wrote on Dec. 5. “What had been a chilly during the last 10 days became one thing extra extreme on the night time of the USA-Netherlands recreation, and I may really feel my higher chest tackle a brand new degree of stress and discomfort.”

Memorial service being deliberate

Wahl wrote that he examined adverse for COVID-19 and sought remedy for his signs.

“I went into the medical clinic on the major media centre right now, and so they mentioned I in all probability have bronchitis. They gave me a course of antibiotics and a few heavy-duty cough syrup, and I am already feeling a bit higher only a few hours later. However nonetheless: No bueno,” he wrote.

Wahl labored for Sports activities Illustrated from 1996 to 2021, recognized primarily for his protection of soccer and school basketball. He then launched his personal web site, Futbol with Grant Wahl, and a podcast with Meadowlark Media.

Wahl additionally labored for Fox Sports activities from 2012-19 and was employed by CBS Sports activities in 2021 as an analyst and editorial guide. Wahl wrote the 2009 guide “The Beckham Experiment” after English soccer star David Beckham joined Main League Soccer’s LA Galaxy and the 2018 guide “Masters of Trendy Soccer.”

Gounder mentioned a memorial service is being deliberate.