Doha: A FIFA World Cup taskforce on Tuesday called for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to be shortened and held in November-December to avoid scorching summer temperatures.
A tournament from the end of November to the end of December was “the most viable period” for the World Cup, the taskforce decided, according to a FIFA statement.
A source later told AFP that the dates proposed would see the tournament begin on November 26 with the final held on December 23.
A final decision will be made by the FIFA executive committee at their meeting in Zurich, Switzerland, on March 19 and looks likely to be approved despite Europe’s top clubs stressing their opposition.
If the move goes ahead, it will be the first time the World Cup has been played in these months and away from its traditional northern hemisphere summer format.
“There is one solution, November-December,” said FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke after a meeting of the taskforce in Doha.
Valcke said the group touched on “all the options”, including considering holding the World Cup in January and February 2023.
“It is clear there are pros and cons for all but there is one solution coming out from this discussion, which is November-December 2022,” said Valcke, adding that the proposal would not please everyone.
The taskforce chairman, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalif, said there was also a recommendation for a shorter competition. The 2014 World Cup in Brazil ran for 32 days.
However, officials said there was no proposal to reduce the number of countries taking part from 32.
“The outcome of the discussions is also a proposed reduced competition days schedule with the exact dates to be defined inline with the match schedule and number of venues to be used,” said a FIFA statement.
“The proposed event dates have the full support of all six confederations,” it added.
The move to shift the tournament was backed by the Qataris. They had insisted they could host a World Cup during their summer but said they would go along with the majority decision.
“We have always committed ourselves to what the football community decides,” said the country’s World Cup chief, Hassan al-Thawadi. “We are onboard whatever the executive committee decides.” (AFP)
