Sportswriter Grant Wahl has died suddenly while covering the World Cup in Qatar, just a few weeks after running afoul of local authorities for defying their crackdown on LGBTQ+ fans.
The United States Soccer Federation confirmed his death in a statement late Friday, praising the 49-year-old veteran journalist for his “insightful and entertaining stories” about the sport.
His wife, Celine Gounder, tweeted that she was “in complete shock.”