Grant Wahl, renowned American soccer journalist, dies at age 49

Grant Wahl, an esteemed American sports journalist who was best known for his soccer reporting with a focus on storytelling and behind-the-scenes coverage of the rise of the sport in the United States, died at the age of 49 early Saturday in Qatar.
Wahl was an analyst on CBS Sports HQ throughout the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and wrote guest columns on CBS Sports that focused on the United States men’s national team. He was also an editorial consultant for soccer documentaries on Paramount+.
Born in Mission, Kansas, Wahl graduated from Princeton University in 1996 where he covered the men’s soccer team who was then coached by former United States men’s soccer team coach Bob Bradley.
Wahl fortified his place in the sports industry as one of the most renowned soccer reporters in the United States, covering Major League Soccer and the U.S. national team. He worked his way up to become a senior writer at Sports Illustrated where he covered numerous NCAA Tournaments, Olympics Games and World Cups throughout his career.
With the boom from David Beckham’s surprise arrival to the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007, he published his first book, “The Beckham Experiment,” in 2009 which detailed the impact of his move to the United States. It became a New York Times bestseller.
Wahl followed that up with “Masters of Modern Soccer: How the World’s Best Play the Twenty-First-Century Game,” a book that gave a behind-the-scenes perspective on how elite players – Christian Pulisic and Javier Chicharito – and coaches – Roberto Martinez – strategize on and off the field to execute in high-pressure situations.
Wahl brought his day-to-day news coverage to Substack during this World Cup cycle where he was on site for every game. He also had a renowned podcast, “Fútbol with Grant Wahl,” as he provided analysis on the top stories around the world of soccer, his expertise and reporting along with co-host Chris Wittyngham through Meadowlark Media. On Thanksgiving Day, “Good Rivals,” a docuseries exploring the social, political and sporting layers of the rivalry between the United States and Mexico launched, with Wahl as one of the producers.
Wahl turned 49 while in Qatar covering the tournament. He was honored by FIFA in a special ceremony held in conjunction with the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) along with 70-plus veteran journalists who have covered eight or more World Cups. He received a mini-replica of the FIFA World Cup trophy from two-time Brazil World Cup winner Ronaldo during the ceremony on Monday.
Wahl served as a watchdog for the sport and was integral to the history of the rise of soccer in the United States, especially following the 1994 World Cup in the United States and the launch of Major League Soccer in 1996. There weren’t many storytellers on-site providing behind-the-scenes insight on American soccer quite like Wahl. In 2011, he briefly campaigned against the presidency of Sepp Blatter at FIFA in an effort to shine a light on changes needed to be made to the governing body of the sport.
Wahl is survived by his wife Celine Gounder, an American medical doctor and medical journalist who specializes in infectious diseases and global health. She is a CBS News medical contributor and a member of the COVID-19 Advisory Board transition team of U.S. President-Elect Joe Biden.
U.S. Soccer released the following statement: