Late on Friday evening, US journalist Grant Wahl collapsed in the stadium and died shortly thereafter. Just a few hours later, another journalist reporting from the World Cup in Qatar dies.
A second journalist died while reporting on the soccer World Cup. Photojournalist Khalid al-Misslam from Qatari news channel Al Kass TV died on Saturday, his employer confirmed.
The Qatari news channel Gulf Times offered its condolences to Al-Misslam’s family and wrote: “Al-Misslam, a Qatari man, died suddenly while covering the Qatar 2022 World Cup. We believe in Allah’s mercy and forgiveness on him and offer our deepest condolences to his family.” The cause of death is not yet known, according to local media. In a live broadcast, his employer initially only briefly addressed the photojournalist’s death without giving any further details.
News of al-Misslam’s death comes less than 24 hours after the death of US journalist Grant Wahl. Wahl, who had reported on his eighth World Cup in Qatar, collapsed in the media stand of the huge Lusail Stadium during the quarterfinals between Argentina and the Netherlands and died shortly afterwards. The 48-year-old made headlines earlier in the tournament after being refused entry to a stadium for wearing a t-shirt with a rainbow printed on the front.
Wahl confirmed on his podcast Thursday that he “probably” had bronchitis after visiting a medical clinic where he was prescribed antibiotics. “Three weeks with little sleep, a lot of stress and a lot of work can do that to you,” Wahl wrote. He didn’t have Covid. In the hospital he was told that he was probably suffering from bronchitis.
“They gave me an antibiotic and a strong cough syrup and a few hours later I’m feeling a little better. But still: not good.” Wahl had worked for “Sports Illustrated” and the broadcaster CBS, among others, and reported from Qatar on his own website. Shortly before extra time, the renowned author tweeted about the Dutch team’s 2-2 equaliser: “An unbelievable goal from a set piece.” A few minutes after this tweet, Wahl collapsed and died at the age of 48.
Wahl’s death wasn’t the only unexplained incident that day. A security officer, who is now in serious but stable condition in intensive care at Hamad Medical Hospital, fell from an upper stand outside the stadium after the Argentina-Netherlands game.