ALBAWABA - Since the news about the 'sudden' death of U.S. journalist Grant Wahl while covering FIFA's World Cup in Qatar, a deluge of conspiracy theories surfaced online about the possibility of criminal motives being behind his death.
The conspiracies ranged from the sportswriter's support for LGBTQ+ rights, to being infected with a strong virus. Social media users raised all kinds of questions, while expressing sympathy to the journalist's family for his demise.
Earlier, Wahl made headlines after being banned from entering a football match in Qatar by stadium security guards for wearing a t-shirt with a Pride flag imprint.
Eric Wahl, the brother of sportswriter Grant Wahl who died in Qatar while covering the World Cup, is asking for help.
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) December 10, 2022
Grant was detained in Qatar for wearing a rainbow shirt two weeks ago pic.twitter.com/lak0b1UZwa
Eric Wahl, the brother of the 48-year-old sportswriter, shared a video on Instagram, claiming that his brother was killed for his support for the LGBTQ+ community.
In the clip, a man introduced himself as Wahl's brother, then said he is gay. He noted that his brother sported the rainbow t-shit only to support him, and warned that his brother had received death threats.
"My brother was healthy, he told me that he 'received death threats'," he maintained.
He concluded by saying that he doesn't believe that his brother died normally, but that he was killed.
Before Grant Wahl’s death he spoke on his podcast about how everyone is coughing (press, players, staff, fans etc). Scientists had put out a warning about MERS emerging from the World Cup
— Kristin Siân Bingham (@KristinBingham) December 12, 2022
I cannot emphasize enough how dangerous a MERS/SARSCov2 combo will be. We are not prepared https://t.co/y0J2xpvxdG
Another theory surfaced, when some people claimed that the American journalist said in a previous podcast that people seem to be coughing, including the press, footballers, staff and fans, raising the spectrum that the area might have been infested with the 'MERS' virus.
However, Qatar’s World Cup organizers stressed that Wahl "fell ill" in the press area, where he received "immediate medical treatment on site." He was then transferred to Hamad General Hospital, said a spokesperson for the Supreme Court Committee for Delivery and Legacy, the body responsible for planning the tournament, CNN reported.
Wahl died on Dec. 10 in the stadium's press area, while covering the match between Argentina and the Netherlands.
