2022 World Cup could be played in winter

A FIFA taskforce has recommended that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar be played in November and December.

The fear that the usual June/July date for this particular World Cup would endanger the health of players and fans informed the decision of the taskforce which met in Doha on Tuesday.

Average temperatures in November are around 29C, dropping to around 25C by mid-December, slightly cooler than the 35C averages in the summer.

Taskforce chief Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa gave reasons for their recommendation while also suggesting that the 2022 tournament should be shortened by a few days.

“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 for the 2018-2024 international match calendar and football in general,” he said.

“It was a challenging task and I want to thank all members of the football community for their productive input and constructiveness in helping to find a solution that we believe can work for everyone.”

But there are no plans to reduce the size of the tournament from 32 teams or 64 matches.

Peter Coates, chairman of Barclays Premier League side Stoke City, was upset with the situation describing it as “messy”.

“The only saving grace is that we don’t have to think about it for a long time. The planning will go on and it will be incredibly difficult. It couldn’t be more disruptive. It couldn’t be more messy,” he said.

FIFA issued a statement confirming the taskforce’s recommendation which is expected to be ratified by the world football governing body’s executive committee in Zurich on March 19 and 20.