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U.S. Soccer to honor Grant Wahl at all home games through 2026 World Cup

Updated Jan. 26, 2023 12:10 a.m. ET

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U.S. Soccer announced it will honor late sportswriter Grant Wahl by leaving an empty seat in the press box with a "Wahl" jersey draped over it at every one of its men's and women's national team home games through the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

The tribute commenced Wednesday in Los Angeles ahead of the men's team's first home game of 2023, a friendly versus Serbia. In the BMO Stadium press box, a USMNT blue road jersey featuring Wahl's name and the No. 11 hung over a chair alongside flowers and a framed picture of Wahl on the desk.

Also Wednesday, the National Soccer Hall of Fame announced that Wahl has been posthumously awarded the 2023 Colin Jose Media Award, which honors those who made significant long-term contributions to soccer in the United States. Wahl will be honored at this year’s National Soccer Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Frisco, Texas.

Wahl worked for Sports Illustrated from 1996 to 2021, covering soccer and college basketball. He famously wrote SI's first LeBron James cover story in 2002 when James was still a junior in high school. The legendary journalist was a longtime FOX Sports correspondent and recently contributed to CBS Sports' soccer coverage while running a Substack page. Wahl died this past December of an aortic aneurysm while covering the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He was 49 years old.

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