Among the festivities inherent to the opening day of a World Cup, Fox found a moment to strike a more somber tone during its coverage.
During Fox Sports’ pregame show leading up to the opening World Cup match between Mexico and South Africa, host Rebecca Lowe paid tribute to beloved soccer reporter and former Fox analyst Grant Wahl, who tragically passed away while covering the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Fox pays tribute to Grant Wahl, who passed away at the 2022 World Cup pic.twitter.com/QG9hOEVBWX
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 11, 2026
“As we embark on what promises to be a memorable summer, it’s difficult not to think about a former member of the Fox team who passed away during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Grant Wahl’s loss is still being felt given his remarkable dedication into his craft. Grant’s work as a soccer journalist contributed immensely to the growth of the sport in the United States, and is a big reason for all the excitement this summer, and we miss him dearly,” Lowe said as pictures of Wahl flashed on the screen.
Wahl was among the most consequential journalists covering the sport of soccer for an American audience at the time of his passing. In the lead-up to the 2022 World Cup, Wahl broke numerous stories about the human rights abuses taking place in Qatar. But he was an equally impactful reporter when it came to on-field matters, serving as a leading voice covering the U.S. Men’s National Team for many years across several outlets including Sports Illustrated, CBS Sports, and Fox.
Following his death in 2022, Fox led its World Cup coverage by sharing the news with viewers.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.