Chicago Fire FC, Red Stars pay tribute to Grant Wahl

CHICAGO – The world of soccer continues to mourn the loss of one of the most prominent journalists in the sport, and that includes Chicago’s two major soccer teams.

Following Grant Wahl’s death in Qatar while covering the 2022 World Cup at the age of 49, both Chicago Fire FC and the Chicago Red Stars paid tribute to the journalist on their social media pages.

On their Twitter account, Chicago Fire FC wrote:

We are deeply heartbroken to learn of the passing of Grant Wahl. Grant’s storytelling brought us all closer to the sport, and our community was made better by both his commitment to the game and the individuals behind it. We send our sincerest condolences to all his loved ones.

The Chicago Red Stars did the same on social media following Wahl’s death:

We are heartbroken to hear the news of the passing of Grant Wahl. Our thoughts tonight are with Grant’s friends, family and all who feel his loss.

Both the National Women’s Soccer League and Major League Soccer along with US Soccer released similar tributes following the announcement of Wahl’s death.

A native of Mission, Kansas, Wahl was known for his in-depth coverage of the sport of soccer in the United States. He was a senior writer for Sports Illustrated while also serving as a commentator for Fox Sports.

Wahl was in Qatar for the World Cup writing for his Substack site when he collapsed at Lusail Stadium while covering the Netherlands-Argentina quarterfinal match on Friday. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful despite treating him for 20-30 minutes on-site and then at Hamad General Hospital in Doha.

The cause of death is still unknown.