STORY: Well known U.S. soccer journalist Grant Wahl died suddenly on Friday (December 9) after collapsing during a match at the World Cup in Qatar, his agent has said.

Governing body U.S. Soccer said it was "heartbroken" to learn of the death.

Wahl's wife, responding to the U.S. Soccer statement on Twitter, said she was "in complete shock".

Wahl was a former Sports Illustrated writer who moved to the Substack online publishing platform.

On Friday he'd been tweeting about the quarter final match between Netherlands and Argentina.

His agent Tim Scanlan said Wahl had "appeared to suffer some kind of acute distress in the start of extra time".

Scanlan said attempts were made to revive Wahl in the press box before he was taken to a local hospital, where he was confirmed dead.

President of the world soccer governing body FIFA, Gianni Infantino, described the journalist's love of football as "immense" and said his reporting "would be missed".

Qatar's World Cup organizer, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, said it was "deeply saddened".

News of Wahl's death prompted an immediate outpouring of grief from the U.S. soccer community.

Among those reacting was two-time World Cup winner Megan Rapinoe.

"This is so devastating," she wrote on Twitter. "All the love to his family and loved ones."