FRISCO, Texas — Late soccer journalist Grant Wahl has been posthumously honored as the 2023 Colin Jose Media Award winner, which honors journalists whose careers have made significant long-term contributions to soccer in the United States.
Wahl died in early December 2022 at 49 years old from an aneurysm in his heart that ruptured while covering the World Cup in Qatar.
He will be honored at the 2023 National Soccer Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Frisco, Texas on May 6.
Wahl's career served as a beacon of American soccer journalism, growing the game with his coverage for Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports, CBS Sports and his own Fútbol with Grant Wahl platform. He worked for Sports Illustrated from 1996 to 2001 covering soccer and college basketball.
His writing career is nothing short of legendary and inspiring within the soccer community. Wahl covered soccer at the biggest stages, including World Cups, Women's World Cups and Olympic Games.
Wahl also strongly advocated for social justice and used his platform to speak in favor of LGBTQ+ rights, most recently wearing a rainbow T-shirt in honor of his brother, who identifies as a gay man. Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar, where the 2022 FIFA World Cup was hosted last December.
Wahl's coverage of soccer also included two acclaimed books he wrote:
Wahl joins these past winners of the Colin Jose Media Award: “The Beckham Experiment” about England star David Beckham’s move to LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer (2009) and “Masters of Modern Soccer” about the playing styles of some of the game’s biggest stars (2018).
- 2020 – Andrés Cantor, Telemundo Deportes and other television broadcasters
- 2019 - Tony Quinn, Photojournalist
- 2018 - JP Dellacamera, FOX and other television broadcasters
- 2017 - Jim Trecker, Media Relations
- 2016 - Paul Kennedy, Soccer America
- 2013 - George Vecsey, New York Times
- 2012 - Grahame Jones, Los Angeles Times
- 2010 - Paul Gardner, Soccer America
- 2009 - Alex Yannis, New York Times
- 2008 - Ike Kuhns, Newark Star-Ledger
- 2007 - George Tiedemann, Sports Illustrated/Freelance Photography
- 2005 - Seamus Malin, ESPN and other television broadcasters
- 2004 - Jerry Trecker, Hartford Courant
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