Qatar World Cup in 2022 will not be held in the summer, Fifa confirms
Fifa secretary general Jerome Valcke confirms that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will not be held in the summer
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar will not be held in the summer, according to Fifa secretary general Jerome Valcke.
The scheduling of the tournament has been a source of continuous debate since it was controversially awarded to the Gulf state back in December 2010.
I think it will be held between 15 November and 15 January at the latest
Jerome Valcke
Fears have regularly been raised that it will be too hot to stage the competition during Qatar’s summer, where temperatures can reach as high as 50 degrees Celsius.
“The dates for the World Cup [in Qatar] will not be June-July,” Valcke told Radio France.
“To be honest, I think it will be held between 15 November and 15 January at the latest.
“If you play between 15 November and the end of December that’s the time when the weather conditions are best, when you can play in temperatures equivalent to a warm spring season in Europe, averaging 25 degrees.
“That would be perfect for playing football.”
However, Fifa moved quickly to insist that no decision has yet been made over the timing of the tournament.
“The precise event date is still subject to an ongoing consultation process which involves all main event stakeholders, including both the international football community,” said a Fifa spokesperson.
“As the event will not be played until eight years’ time the consultation process will not be rushed and will be given the necessary time to consider all of the elements relevant for a decision.
“No decision will be taken before the upcoming 2014 World Cup as agreed by the Fifa executive committee.”
Fifa president Sepp Blatter recently said that the 2022 tournament would not be moved to January or February so as to avoid a clash with the Winter Olympics in the same year.
“We will not play the World Cup in January and February,” Blatter said back in November.
“It would be totally disrespectful to the Olympic family and organisation when they have the Winter Olympic Games in January and February.
“We have also consulted our economic and media partners.
“So many different partners are with Fifa and the Olympic Games so we can not have the partners in two competitions at the same time.”
