2022 World Cup in Qatar Likely to Be Held in Nov-Dec
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - A FIFA task force met on Tuesday in Doha to discuss moving the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to winter due to scorching summer temperatures in the Persian Gulf state.
A shift to November-December is seen as likely but faces resistance from European clubs who fear major disruption to high-profile championships such as La Liga, Bundesliga and the Premier League, AFP wrote.
There are no plans to reduce the size of the tournament from 32 teams or 64 matches, but the tournament would be shortened by a matter of days.
A FIFA statement said the task force delegates saw the late November-December option as the "most viable period" for the event.
Asian Football Confederation President and FIFA Executive Committee member Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said finding appropriate dates had been a "challenging task".
“We are very pleased that, after careful consideration of the various opinions and detailed discussions with all stakeholders, we have identified what we believe to be the best solution," he said.