World Cup: 2nd Journalist Suffers Mysterious Death Hours After American Grant Wahl Died

Reports have spread of a second journalist suffering a mysterious death as they were covering the World Cup held in Qatar, only a few hours after American soccer journalist Grant Wahl was announced dead.

The latest fatality, Qatari Khalid al-Misslam, was a photojournalist for Al Kass TV and was reported to have "died suddenly" while covering the tournament in the country. The media outlet posted a tweet where they sent their condolences to al-Misslam's family and loved ones.

Journalist's Mysterious Death

The details of the journalist's death remain unclear and the media outlet only mentioned al-Misslam's situation once on air. The incident took place only a short while after Wahl similarly passed away while covering a World Cup match between Argentina and the Netherlands.

The American journalist fell back in his seat in a section of Lusail Stadium during extra time and reporters near him later called for assistance. Wahl was covering his eighth World Cup and last Monday wrote that he visited a medical clinic while in Qatar, as per Fox News.

During that time, he tested negative for the coronavirus and sought treatment for the symptoms that he was experiencing. In his Substack, an online publishing platform, he said that his body had finally broken down on him, noting that he had spent three weeks getting little to no sleep, having high stress, and having lots of work to do.

Wahl added that what had been a cold over the last 10 days turned into a condition that was more severe on the night of the World Cup game between the US and the Netherlands. He said that he could feel his chest take on a new level of pressure and discomfort.

According to Deadline, on top of the two deaths of the journalists, a security guard on Saturday was placed in intensive care following a fall at one of the tournament's stadiums. Reports the next day indicated that the guard was in critical but stable condition after the incident.

Similar Incident

Wahl was a prominent US soccer journalist who had previous experience working for CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated. The 48-year-old journalist was working independently to cover the games in Qatar through his Substack "Futbol with Grant Wahl."

During the Argentina-Netherlands match on Friday, Yahoo Sports soccer reporter Henry Bushnell was present and was able to witness Wahl seemingly unconscious in his press box seat. After nearby reporters called for medical assistance, health personnel worked on Wahl for roughly half an hour before taking him out on a stretcher.

In a Twitter post, Wahl's wife, Celine Gounder, said that she was in "complete shock" over her husband's sudden passing. She also expressed her gratitude to her husband's soccer family and friends who reached out to her after the unfortunate incident.

Later, State Department spokesperson Ned Price posted a tweet that his office was already in communication with senior Qatari officials. They seek to see that Wahl's family's wishes are fulfilled as quickly as they could help to do so, Yahoo Sports reported.