A second journalist has died suddenly at the ongoing Qatar World Cup, 48 hours after US journalist Grant Wahl, who made headlines for wearing an LGBT t-shirt, died from heart attack. Khalid al-Misslam, a Qatari photojournalist working for Al Kass TV, died "suddenly" while covering the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Qatar on Sunday.
According to reports, the circumstances surrounding his death are mysterious and unclear at this stage. The Doha-based Gulf Times reported on Saturday that al-Misslam had "passed away recently." The Gulf Times tweeted that the Qatari reporter "died suddenly while covering the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. No more detail has been given.
Another Mysterious Death
The "sudden death of al-Misslam is shrouded in mystery as neither officials nor the police are sharing anything about the circumstances under which he passed away. "We believe in Allah's mercy and forgiveness for him, and send our deepest condolences to his family," the Gulf Times tweeted.
It is unclear how or when al-Misslam died. However, the news of his death broke on the same day that a security guard at the Lusail Stadium suffered significant injuries after collapsing.
The guard — who is reportedly a migrant worker — fell about 2 a.m. local time Saturday after the quarter-final game between Argentina and the Netherlands, the Guardian reported.
The security officer, who is apparently a migrant worker, is believed to have plunged from the top outside the concourse to the ground. According to reports on Sunday, his condition was critical but stable.
Even Al Kass TV, mentioned only briefly about al-Misslam's death in a live broadcast and seemed to be waiting on more information.
The incident comes barely 48 hours after American journalist Grant Wahl passed away. Wahl, 48, had struggled to enter a stadium during a first-round match because he was wearing a pro-LGBT top.
The prominent soccer journalist died on Friday night in Doha during extra time of the Argentina vs. Netherlands match.
He was given 20 minutes of CPR and an automatic chest compressor by paramedics in an effort to revive him.
Wahl suffered a heart attack, according to reports, and was taken to a local hospital by ambulance where he was later pronounced dead.
Everything Mysterious
The well-known soccer writer has previously been critical of Qatar on his Substack, particularly in a post where he blamed the organizers for the deaths of hundreds of construction workers who were building the tournament stadium.
Erik Wahl, Wahl's gay brother, said his brother was murdered shortly after he passed away due to his persistent criticism of the Qatari government. Eric Wahl introduced himself in a now-deleted Instagram video by saying, " My name is Eric Wahl. I live in Seattle, Washington. I am Grant Wahl's brother. I'm gay. I'm the reason he wore the rainbow shirt to the World Cup. My brother was healthy.
"He told me he received death threats. I do not believe my brother just died. I believe he was killed. And I just beg for any help."
On Sunday night, Eric updated his Twitter followers on his brother's death.
"In NYC now. Can update that Grant did go to hospital in an ambulance. Colleagues followed in an Uber,' he wrote. 'There was no available AED onsite, though it sounds as though it wouldn't have made a difference, if my understanding of the medical situation is correct. G comes home tomorrow."
"There will be a proper autopsy here in the US. The family will release a proper statement after that."
The World Cup in Qatar has come under fire for "sportswashing" because of the host country's dismal record on human rights, particularly in regard to how it treats the LGBTQ+ population. The government of Qatar does not recognize same-sex marriages, and male homosexuality is punished by imprisonment.
