Grant Wahl's Cause of Death at World Cup Finally Disclosed By His Wife

(Photo : Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Dr. Celine Gardner finally revealed to the public the cause of the untimely death of her husband at the 2022 World Cup.

The untimely death of acclaimed sports writer Grant Wahl was a result of a ruptured aortic aneurysm, according to his wife, Dr. Celine Gounder.

Dr. Gounder, an infectious disease specialist, told CBS News on Wednesday that the autopsy of the New York City medical examiner's office revealed that Grant Wahl cause of death was "an aortic aneurysm that ruptured."

In her first interview following her husband's death, she told Gayle King of "CBS Mornings" that the condition of Grant Wahl had likely been "brewing for years, and for whatever reason, it happened at this point."

On Friday, Wahl, 49, passed away in Qatar while he was reporting on the World Cup. When Argentina and the Netherlands started playing extra time in their quarterfinal encounter, the journalist "looked to have undergone some form of extreme discomfort in the press room," according to his agent Tim Scanlan.

Scanlan also said paramedics had been dispatched but had been unable to revive Grant Wahl.

As stated in a statement released by Qatari authorities, Wahl "received immediate medical treatment on-site," which proceeded when he was transferred to Hamad General Hospital.

Nothing 'Nefarious' About Wahl's Death

Gounder claimed she noticed Twitter, SMS, and email communications Friday and knew "obviously "something wrong." She was informed her spouse had collapsed and was brought to the hospital after 20 minutes of CPR. She looked for someone who could tell her what had transpired in the hospital.

On Wahl's website, Dr. Celine Gounder suspected that the chest pressure Wahl felt before his death was the first sign of the disease. "No amount of CPR or shocks would have saved him," she noted.

Dr. Celine Grounder also pointed out that the deadly COVID-19 virus and his immunization history had nothing to do with Grant Wahl cause of death.

"There was nothing nefarious about his death," she said, per Fox News.

Journalist Rafael Cores, who was seated next to Wahl during the game, stated that minutes before Wahl collapsed, they had both been chuckling at a joke they read on Twitter. Wahl revealed on a podcast that he had bronchitis in the days leading up to the event.

On Friday, Celine Gounder took to Twitter to express her "complete shock" at Wahl's death and her gratitude to Wahl's "soccer family" and friends.

Wahl's Illustrious Career

Wahl writes for the GrantWahl.com Substack in addition to working for CBS Sports. Sports Illustrated and FOX Sports were among his former employers.

In 2009, Wahl wrote "The Beckham Experiment," a nonfiction book on David Beckham's transition to Major League Soccer, which was a New York Times Bestseller. The subject of soccer has never before been included in a New York Times bestseller.

Throughout his career, Wahl has covered collegiate basketball and the Olympic Games in addition to soccer. He wrote the legendary "The Chosen One" cover story for Sports Illustrated on then-basketball phenom LeBron James during his junior high school days, according to NBC Sports.

In Qatar, FIFA and the International Association of Sports Journalists (AIPS) acknowledged 82 journalists, including Wahl, who had covered at least eight men's World Cups. This year was the eighth World Cup that Grant Wahl had covered.