World Cup

Soccer reporter Grant Wahl's body was repatriated to United States soil on Monday ... two days after his shocking death at the World Cup in Qatar.

Department of State spokesperson Ned Price confirmed the news during press briefings just now ... saying U.S. ambassador Timmy Davis has been in constant communication with Wahl's family, and the embassy has been working nonstop to help fulfill their wishes in the days following the journalist's passing.

Price said an embassy consular officer accompanied Wahl's body and possessions to the U.S.

Officials told the AP Wahl's body was taken to JFK airport in New York.

As we previously reported, 49-year-old Wahl died after collapsing in the press box while attending the Argentina vs. the Netherlands match on Friday.

Emergency responders treated Wahl at the stadium for nearly 30 minutes before rushing him to a nearby hospital.

Wahl stated earlier in the week he was battling a bad case of bronchitis ... referring to his cough as a "death rattle."

Wahl's brother, Eric, posted an emotional video to Instagram after his passing ... claiming he believed foul play was involved due to Grant wearing a pro-LGBTQ+ shirt to the U.S. national team's first match last month.

"I do not believe my brother just died," Eric said on Friday. "I believe he was killed."

Wahl was briefly detained prior to the contest ... claiming security told him his shirt was "not allowed."

Chad Johnson is a master in footwork, but his skills certainly don't translate to sandboarding ... 'cause the ex-Bengals star tried out the sport -- and straight-up busted his ass!!

The former NFL wideout is in Qatar covering the World Cup for FOX ... and during a bit of downtime between games, he decided to hit the dunes for a boarding lesson.

The tutorial seemed to go pretty well at first ... but disaster struck as Ochocinco gained momentum going down the hill.

Check out the video -- Chad loses his balance as his speed increases ... and inevitably, it resulted in eating sand.

All appears to be well, though ... and luckily for Johnson, he was able to avoid any serious injury.

Ex-NFL star Fred Taylor commented on Chad's post ... writing, "😂😂😂😂 OH NOOOO OCHO."

Chad, 44, spent 11 seasons in the NFL ... routinely torching defensive backs with his nifty route-running abilities ... but he quickly learned that sandboarding ain't football.

Maybe next time, hit up Tony Hawk first?!? Although, that didn't really help Mike Tyson, either.

Another tragedy has struck the 2022 FIFA World Cup ... Qatari photographer Khalid al-Misslam suddenly passed away while covering the famous soccer event on Saturday.

A local Qatari outlet reports al-Misslam -- who worked for Al Kass TV -- collapsed during the Saturday games and died later in the local hospital.

The cause of his death is unknown at this time.

"Al-Misslam, a Qatari, died suddenly while covering the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022," the Gulf Times said.

"We believe in Allah's mercy and forgiveness for him and send our deepest condolences to his family."

Of course, al-Misslam's death is chilling ... because he's not the only person who has died. A popular American soccer journalist passed away over the weekend at the World Cup.

CBS Sports' Grant Wahl also collapsed ... while working the Netherlands-Argentina match at the Lusail Iconic Stadium on Friday. He passed away after being transported to the hospital by Uber.

The 49-year-old was battling bronchitis but CBS News reports the death to be a heart attack.

But, Grant's brother, Eric, believes there was foul play. He says Grant was receiving death threats after wearing a shirt in Qatar supporting the LGBTQ+ community. Wahl had also been critical of the Qatari government.

Wahl's untimely death has devastated a lot of people ... including LeBron James who said Grant, who wrote his first Sports Illustrated cover story, was "always pretty cool to be around."

French Montana is on top of the world, and it showed as he led a massive Times Square rally to celebrate his homeland of Morocco making World Cup history.

The rapper was a proud cheerleader Saturday evening as he stood on top of scaffolding, waving the Moroccan flag and chanting along with a crowd of thousands who were hyped up about their soccer team defeating Portugal -- sorry Cristiano Ronaldo -- and making it to the World Cup semifinals.

French -- who was born and raised in Casablanca, Morocco until his teen years -- had pure joy written all over his face after watching his Atlas Lions play the Cinderella role.

Morocco is now the first African, and first Arab-speaking country to advance this far in the World Cup tournament -- and they've defeated powerhouse teams like Belgium, Spain, and now Portugal, along the way.

Cristiano Ronaldo was in tears after Portugal's World Cup loss to Morocco this weekend -- which may be the last time he ever makes an appearance in the tournament.

The soccer star visibly wept Saturday after the final whistle in Qatar, this as he made his way off the field and through the tunnel back to the locker rooms. He, like the rest of his team, was clearly upset after the Moroccan National Team knocked them out with a 1-0 score.

Ronaldo actually started on the bench for this game -- just like he did in the last game against Switzerland -- but eventually got subbed into the action in the second half.

Still, he and the rest of the squad went scoreless. Morocco's Youssef En-Nesyri knocked one in in the 42nd minute -- kinda similar to how CR (almost) did against Uruguay a couple games back.

Of course, Portugal tried scoring multiple times ... but Morocco's goalie, Yassine Bounou, was able to keep 'em out. He's being touted as one of the team's heroes.

It's been a rough World Cup for Ronaldo -- not only was he benched these past couple games amid strife with his national team ... but he also broke up with Manchester United after blasting them in a recent interview. He's also said he may retire from the sport soon.

The athletes on the pitch aren't the only ones getting some love at the World Cup this year -- the stunning fans in the stands deserve some shine, too!!

Of course, you've heard of Croatia's #1 backer Ivana Knoll by now, but there are plenty of other beautiful footy fanatics catching everyone's eye among all the countries participating in the event this year.

Iran may be out of the tournament, but they had a ton of support from their lovely fans in Qatar ... and we're sure they helped make the loss to the U.S. sting a bit less.

Japan also made a solid run ... and those who made the trip to watch their country had some fun in the crowd as well, blowing a kiss for the cameras while at the stadium.

The ladies of Argentina were on pins and needles during Argentina's close contest against the Netherlands ... but they'll be back in full force when they take on Croatia in the semis.

CBS Sports journalist Grant Wahl -- one of the most respected soccer reporters in the country -- died while covering the World Cup, his brother announced Friday. He was 49 years old.

Grant was in Qatar when he passed ... and Eric Wahl believes foul play was involved, as he claims the reporter was receiving death threats over wearing a rainbow shirt in support of the LGBTQ+ community.

Eric says Grant had zero health issues ... explaining in a heartbreaking Instagram video, "I do not believe my brother just died. I believe he was killed."

As we previously reported, Wahl was detained for nearly 30 minutes after World Cup security on Nov. 21 ... after he showed up to Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Qatar for the United States' first tournament game against Wales.

To show his support for the LGBTQ+ community in a country where homosexuality is illegal, he wore a shirt with a soccer ball and a rainbow pattern.

At the time, Eric praised his brother and denounced soccer's governing body ... saying, "Shame on @FIFA for losing all control over this corrupt World Cup."

Grant was live-tweeting the Argentina vs. Netherlands game just hours ago ... with his last post coming at 1:05 PM PT.

Eric says he spoke with Grant's wife, Celine, who says he collapsed at the stadium and was given CPR before being Ubered to a hospital, where he died.

Eric added Celine has spoken to Ron Klain, President Joe Biden's chief of staff, as well as the White House.

U.S. Soccer released a statement on Wahl's passing ... saying, "The entire US Soccer family is heartbroken to learn that we have lost Grant Wahl."

"Here in the United States, Grant’s passion for soccer and commitment to elevating its profile across our sporting landscape played a major role in helping to drive interest in and respect for our beautiful game."

"As important, Grant’s belief in the power of the game to advance human rights was, and will remain, an inspiration to all."

Grant's last article on his Substack focused on Qatari officials' apathy toward the rash of migrant worker deaths surrounding the World Cup ... saying, "They just don't care."

Neymar might be bummed, but there's one person who's certainly thrilled with Croatia's massive win over Brazil at the World Cup ... with viral fan Ivana Knoll going nuts for her beloved team in the stands at the match!!

Of course, the model has made headlines throughout the tournament with her wardrobe choices ... which are quite a bit more revealing than Qatari clothing guidelines.

Ivana has been keeping the hot streak going as her guys continue to kill it on the pitch ... rocking a new sexy Croatia-themed 'fit to each game throughout the tournament.

Friday was no different ... with Knoll rocking a latex ensemble for Croatia's win in penalty kicks.

The party continued after the match ... with Ivana doing a sexy dance to keep the good vibes going.

As we previously reported, Knoll says she's been a big hit with the locals throughout the event ... and officials have loosened their stance on clothing as hundreds of thousands flocked to Doha for the World Cup.

Soccer superstar Neymar was absolutely crushed after Brazil's devastating loss to Croatia on Friday ... breaking down in tears as his team was eliminated from the World Cup.

The match was as thrilling as it gets ... with Neymar breaking a 0-0 tie in the 106th minute, and Croatia's Bruno Petkovic responding by finding the back of the net for the equalizer in the 117th minute.

It all came down to penalty kicks ... and Croatia secured the dub 4-2 when Marquinhos' shot hit the post and bounced out.

Neymar was slated to go fifth for Brazil ... which means he never got a shot to score in PKs.

Neymar was understandably emotional following the loss ... sitting on the ground and crying as his teammates consoled him.

It's been an up-and-down tournament for the 30-year-old in Qatar ... he also shed tears as he sat on the bench with an ankle injury against Serbia at the start of the event, forcing him to miss time. He did, though, score two goals for Brazil, before bowing out on Friday.

Despite his overall massive success at the tourney over the years, Neymar hasn't brought home a World Cup championship for his country ... but there's always hope in 2026.

Popular Streamer IShowSpeed is coming under fire for a gross racist exchange he had with a Chinese fan at The World Cup ... with people urging he do better.

IShowSpeed -- who has 14M subscribers on YouTube and nearly 6M followers on Instagram -- is in Qatar for the massive soccer tournament, and has live streamed a lot of his time in the stands.

The controversial clip shows the streamer call attention to an Asian fan in an Argentina jersey. Speed asks why he's wearing the gear -- seemingly pointing out he doesn't look Argentinian.

From there, he shouts, "Konnichiwa!" -- a formal word for "hello" in Japanese -- several times at the fan. The fan tries to explain he's not Japanese, but Chinese ... and then ISS begins rambling off nonsense with an accent.

Naturally, and rightfully so, Speed's fans have littered the comment section on his social media pages denouncing the exchange. One wrote, "Stop spewing macro-aggressions and racism towards Asian people and use your platform for something positive."

Another said, "You failed Asian Americans and Asians everywhere. We all make mistakes. But grow up. Do better. Be a better example for the youth." While another simply wrote, "ishowracism should be your new name from now on."

The 17-year-old attempted to offer up an explanation as to what he was thinking, but it didn't really help his cause. He says he thought the man was Japanese -- though he doesn't explain why -- and that his adrenaline was pumping during the video.

Samuel Eto'o, former Cameroon soccer star and current national team president, was involved in a violent altercation outside the World Cup stadium Monday night, where he appeared to kick a man in the face, sending him to the pavement.

The incident was captured on video by a witness ... and appears to show Eto'o, a former Barcelona star, walking away from Stadium 974 in Doha, Qatar, surrounded by fans who are attempting to take selfies. Everything was going smoothly -- and then it wasn't.

For a reason that isn't yet clear, one of the guys clearly pissed Eto'o off, prompting the soccer exec to start chasing the guy, while SE's people try and hold him back.

Despite a few trying to keep the peace, Eto'o gets loose and appears to deliver a kick to the man's face, sending him crashing to the pavement.

On Tuesday, Samuel apologized on social media for "losing my temper" ... but blamed the fan for antagonizing him.

Eto'o's Cameroon squad was eliminated from the WC last week during the group stage ... but he stuck around, and had just gotten done watching Brazil beat South Korea, 4-1, when the fight occurred.

England soccer star Raheem Sterling has left the World Cup in Qatar ... after learning that intruders had broken into his family home back in the UK.

The burglary, according to Surrey Police, happened in Oxshott on Saturday night -- just hours before England was slated to play Senegal on Sunday in the round of 16 at the famed soccer tournament.

Sterling did not play in the contest, which England won, as he returned home to be with his family.

Cops said in a statement on Monday that occupants at the home had called police after noticing jewelry and watches had been taken from the residence.

"No threat of violence was involved," police said, "as the items were discovered stolen retrospectively. Enquiries into the circumstances are ongoing."

It's unclear if Sterling will return to the World Cup at any point later this month. England is scheduled to play France on Saturday, with a spot in the tourney's Final Four on the line.

"Our thoughts are with him and his family," England captain Harry Kane said over the weekend. "It's a private matter but it's never easy to see one of your teammates and friends deal with something like that."

"We'll have to take it day by day. I'm sure Raheem will speak to the manager and take the best decision for him and his family. That's the most important thing. We send him our best wishes and hope to see him as soon as possible."

The World Cup is a HUGE deal -- the most watched event in sports next to the Olympics -- which explains why fans are on pins and needles watching the tournament!!

There have been a mixture of easy wins, upsets and close contests throughout the matches so far ... and understandably, all the backers have let their emotions out while cheering on their beloved teams in the stands.

Japan fans were glued to their seats and TVs as they watched their team pull off a stunning 2-1 upset over World Cup favorite Spain ... cementing their spot in the round of 16.

However, that wasn't the case for fans of Iran ... who were teary-eyed after watching their guys fall to the United States.

South Korea punched its ticket to the knockout stage for the first time since 2010 after defeating Portugal 2-1, and its fans were visibly emotional following the big win.

The United States just got some GREAT news ahead of Saturday's match against the Netherlands -- Christian Pulisic has been cleared to play after suffering an injury against Iran.

Captain America's been recovering from getting hit in the balls a pelvic contusion this week ... which came after making contact with Iran's goalkeeper after scoring the game-winning goal.

CP said Thursday he was taking it one day at a time ... but was doing "everything in my power" to make it out on the pitch on Saturday.

Pulisic also clarified his injury was, in fact, a pelvic contusion ... saying, "I didn't get hit in the balls."

"I'm alright. It was very painful. That bone is there for a reason to protect you and I hit it well. I was sore."

He posted a Snapchat from his hospital bed after the 1-0 win on Tuesday ... promising he'd be back for their next match -- but admitted the pain was pretty tough to fight through.

The 24-year-old is holding up on his promise ... 'cause Pulisic is now good enough to go as the Red, White and Blue head into the round of 16.

U.S. soccer superstar Christian Pulisic wants everyone to know his gonads are perfectly intact ... telling reporters his World Cup injury was legitimately a "pelvic contusion" -- and not a made-up term for sore testicles.

Pulisic was injured after colliding with Iran's goalkeeper during his game-winning goal for Team USA on Tuesday ... forcing him to miss the second half of the match.

The 24-year-old midfielder was hospitalized after the contest ... but updated his supporters with a selfie, saying he'd be ready to take the pitch on Saturday against the Netherlands.

Based on the area of contact during the incident, many believed Christian's "pelvic contusion" diagnosis was just a code word for getting hit in the family jewels ... but now, all that speculation can be put to rest.

"I didn't get hit in the balls," Christian said with a laugh. "I'm alright. It was very painful. That bone is there for a reason to protect you and I hit it well. I was sore."

Christian says he's still taking it one day at a time ... but is doing "everything in my power" to be back in time for Saturday's match.

Incredible scene in Australia following the team's huge World Cup victory Wednesday ... fans took to the streets of Melbourne with flares and parties to celebrate -- at 4 AM!!

Aussie supporters started to go wild just seconds after Australia defeated Denmark, 1-0, in Qatar to advance to the round of 16 for the first time since 2006 ... and in a matter of minutes, the celebration grew to insane proportions.

Videos, which have now gone viral, show hundreds of people jumping up and down as smoke and fires from flares covered the sky.

Of course, during the game, fans were going crazy as well ... with one video showing people losing their minds following Matthew Leckie's game-deciding goal.

With the win, Australia will now play next on Sunday.