DOHA, Qatar – When Grant Wahl passed out, he was watching the Netherlands vs. Argentina game.Football in the United States is in grief following the passing of American football writer Grant Wahl, who passed away while covering the World Cup in Qatar.

According to a story from the Associated Press, Wahl, 49, passed out while watching the quarterfinal between Argentina and the Netherlands from the press section of Lusail Stadium on Friday night. His fellow journalists then called for help.

In the hospital, where he was later declared dead, Wahl was removed from the media area on a stretcher.

Medical personnel showed up soon, according to reporters who saw the incident.

Tim Scanlan, the agent for Wahl, told the Reuters news agency that the journalist “appeared to experience some form of acute anxiety in the start of extra time” in the game.

Scanlan remarked, “It’s incredibly terrible and everyone’s emotional.” “He truly simply cared genuinely about the sport and was a true supporter for both the men’s and women’s competitions. He was a very talented writer who had empathy.

Wahl turned 49 years old on Wednesday while covering his eighth World Cup.

The World Cup organizing committee stated in a statement that “he got urgent emergency medical treatment on site, which continued until he was taken by ambulance to Hamad General Hospital.” The statement did not specify a cause of death.

“We are in contact with the US Embassy and the appropriate local authorities to make sure the body is returned in accordance with the family’s wishes,” the statement continued.

Wahl posted on social media on Monday about how his deteriorating health had forced him to travel to Qatar for treatment. He had ruminate that the demanding work schedule he had been under to cover the World Cup had been detrimental to his health.

I eventually hit a wall with my body. That is what you get when you have a lot of work, a lot of stress, and little sleep for three weeks, Wahl wrote on Substack.

The night of the USA-Netherlands game, a cold that had been mild for the previous 10 days became more acute, and I could feel pressure and discomfort increasing in my upper chest.

Wahl stated that since landing in Doha last month, he had been routinely examined for COVID-19 and had tested negative for it.

I visited the major media center’s medical clinic today, and they advised me that I most likely had bronchitis, he continued. They gave me an antibiotic course and some strong cough medicine, and just a few hours later, I’m starting to feel a little better. Still, it’s not good.

As a result of Wahl’s passing, the US Soccer Federation expressed its “heartbreak” on Friday.

The federation stated in a statement, “We could always count on Grant to offer intelligent and entertaining tales about our game, and its primary actors.”

For the USA’s World Cup opening against Wales on November 21, Wahl wore a rainbow T-shirt in favor of LGBTQ rights. He later claimed that security had denied him access and told him to take the garment off.

Wahl claimed that FIFA eventually apologized to him for the incident, which, according to Wahl, saw him being held up for 25 minutes before being permitted to enter the stadium.