(NewsNation) — The wife of renowned American soccer journalist Grant Wahl announced Wednesday that he died of a ruptured aortic aneurysm, CBS News reported.
Dr. Celine Gounder revealed the cause of Wahl’s death in a interview on CBS Mornings.
Gounder shared a statement on Twitter, expressing his deepest gratitude and that of the Wahl family for the support they had received following Wahl’s unexpected death at the World Cup in Qatar.
In the note, Gounder said an autopsy by the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office revealed that the Wahl “died from the rupture of an undetected, slow-growing ascending aortic aneurysm with hemopericardium.”
“The chest pressure that he experienced shortly before his death may have represented the initial symptoms,” he continued. “No amount of CPR or shocks would have saved him. His death was not related to COVID. His death was not related to vaccination status. There was nothing nefarious in his death.”
Wahl, an American journalist who helped increase the popularity of soccer in the United States and reported on some of the biggest stories in the sport, was 49 years old at the time of his death.
Wahl, who had complained of respiratory problems earlier in the week and had been treated for a possible case of bronchitis, leaned back in his seat in a section of Lusail Stadium reserved for journalists during extra time, and the reporters adjacent to him they called for assistance.
The emergency services responded very quickly, treating him for 20 to 30 minutes on the spot and then taking him out on a stretcher. The World Cup organizing committee said he was taken to Doha’s Hamad General Hospital, but did not give a cause of death.
Wahl wrote for Sports Illustrated for more than two decades, then started his own website. He was a major voice informing the American public about soccer during a time of heightened interest after the United States hosted the 1994 World Cup.
Gounder completed his note, saying a memorial service to celebrate Wahl’s life is being planned and details will be forthcoming.
Associated Press contributed to this report.