Qatar: FIFA To Decide On 2022 World Cup, Winter Or Summer?
DOHA, SEPTEMBER 24 – FIFA officials will decide whether the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will take place in summer or winter at a meeting in Zurich October 3-4, sources said Tuesday.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter suggested rescheduling the tournament to the winter because summer temperatures in Qatar can reach upwards of 50 degrees Celsius.
This could be dangerous for players, fans and tourists, according to FIFA Medical Committee Chairman Michel D’Hooghe. Doha has not made an official request for the tournament to be pushed back, saying it can guarantee optimal playing conditions even in summer thanks to its avant-garde air conditioning systems.
UEFA President Michel Platini proposed moving the tournament to another country altogether, because rescheduling the World Cup to November would wreak havoc with the Champions League calendar, and January would overlap with the 2022 Winter Olympics in Japan.
Blatter has stated assigning the World Cup to Qatar was a mistake. No country will receive compensation in case the tournament is rescheduled to the winter, FIFA made known.