Grant Wahl: Brother of football reporter who died in Qatar no longer suspects foul play

Mr Wahl died while covering the Fifa World Cup 2022

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  Grant Wahl, one of the most well-known soccer writers in the US, died early on Saturday, December 10, while covering the World Cup match between Argentina and the Netherlands. Fifa / AP

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  A tribute to Wahl on his assigned seat in the World Cup media box at Al Bayt Stadium, Qatar. AP

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  A giant screen displays a photo of US journalist Grant Wahl who died after he collapsed in the stadium's press area while covering the match between Argentina and Netherlands during the Qatar 2022 World Cup quarter-final football match between England and France at the Al-Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, north of Doha, on December 10, 2022. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP)

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  Wahl covered sports for about 30 years. AFP

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  A colleague pays respects to Wahl in the press room at Al Bayt Stadium. Reuters

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  Wahl takes a selfie in Al Rayyan, Qatar. Reuters

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  Wahl smiles as he is awarded a World Cup replica trophy by soccer legend Ronaldo during an award ceremony in Doha, Qatar. Fifa / AP

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  Wahl attends the 2017 St Luke Foundation for Haiti Benefit hosted by Kenneth Cole at the Garage in New York City in 2017. Getty / AFP

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  Wahl and US soccer player Jozy Altidore at the 2017 St Luke Foundation for Haiti Benefit. Getty / AFP

The brother of Grant Wahl, the football journalist who died in Qatar while covering the World Cup, said on Tuesday that he no longer believes foul play was involved.

Immediately following Wahl’s death, his brother Eric Wahl took to social media to express doubt that he had died of natural causes.

“I spoke with Grant just the other day for his birthday,” Mr Wahl wrote on Twitter.

“He thought he'd caught bronchitis. I no longer believe that's what it was. Grant told me he'd received death threats. His phone better be among his things at Hamad hospital.”

But nearly five days after his death, Wahl's brother, who has been tweeting throughout the ordeal, has changed course.

“I no longer suspect foul play,” Mr Wahl tweeted on Tuesday, a day after his brother's body was repatriated to the US.

"There was nothing nefarious about his death," said Celine Gounder, Wahl's widow.

Ms Gounder said an autopsy confirmed that Wahl died "from the rupture of a slowly growing, undetected ascending aortic aneurysm".

Wahl had complained of respiratory problems earlier in the week and said on his podcast that he had been treated for a possible case of bronchitis.

The veteran journalist, 49, collapsed in his chair while covering Friday’s quarter-final match in which Argentina defeated the Netherlands in penalties.

Emergency service workers spent about half an hour treating Wahl before taking him to Doha’s Hamad General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Wahl was a larger-than-life figure in US football. He was widely regarded as a pioneer in the sport and one of the drivers behind the growing number of American fans.

His writing on football helped grow the popularity of the sport but his talent stretched beyond the pitch.

In 2002, he helped introduce a then 17-year-old LeBron James to the world. His cover story for Sports Illustrated, which anointed James “The Chosen One”, has become a fabled piece of sports journalism.

Upon learning of his death, James, now in his 19th year in the National Basketball Association, tweeted his condolences.

“You had a huge impact on me and my family and I’m so appreciative of you,” he said.