Who is Grant Wahl? Ted Lasso airs title card tribute

Who is Grant Wahl? At the end of tonight’s Ted Lasso season 3 episode, there was a title card dedicated to him. With that in mind, this marks an opportunity to talk about someone who loved the soccer community greatly and was one of its biggest voices for many years.

Wahl was an American sports journalist and analyst who did a great job of growing the game, but also someone who tragically lost his life during the Qatar World Cup. He stood out as a supporter of the LGBTQ community during the event, and generated headlines for that even leading up to his sudden passing. He died of an ascending aortic aneurysm.

The tribute to him at the end of Ted Lasso is a reminder of how in-touch the show tries to be within the global soccer community and some of its biggest personalities. While Wahl may not have directly inspired any one character on the show, there could be parts of him in Trent Crimm, who is of course the main journalist that we see regularly on this show. In general, though, we think the love of the sport is a message that Grant tried to bring to his reporting, and it is there through every episode of this show.

In general title cards remain one of the best ways that any show can honor people associated with production or the world that they represent. This dedication will be there across all future airings, and stand out for everyone who chooses to watch. There are many out there who likely were aware of Grant Wahl prior to this episode but for those who weren’t, the show is allowing them a chance now to learn more about him and his overall legacy. It’s a wonderful, classy move from Jason Sudeikis and the rest of the producers.

In the end, we hope that Ted Lasso continues to build interest in the game; that, at least in part, helps to build Grant’s overall legacy.

Our thoughts and condolences continue to go out to Wahl’s family and loved ones during this difficult time. (Photo: Apple TV+.)