It's official: FIFA announces 2022 Qatar World Cup will be played in winter
Digital Reporter
Friday, March 20, 2015, 12:46 PM - FIFA has finally confirmed the 2022 World Cup will be played in winter -- a boon for players, a headache for clubs.
In a statement on its website, the international soccer body said the event "would be played in November and December 2022, with the final taking place on 18 December 2022 – Qatar’s National Day – and with the objective, in principle, of staging the tournament in 28 days."
That follows a recommendation issued last month that the switch be made, specifically in light of Qatar's desert climate.
Average highs in the Gulf state are in the mid 20s in winter, as opposed to summer, when daily maximums routinely reach past 40oC, with occasional days of +50oC not out of the question.
That'll be great news for players. At the last World Cup in Brazil, players struggled with high temperatures and humidity, particularly in locations like Manaus, deep in the heart of the Amazon.
Clubs, meanwhile, have been less enthused, as the November-December timeframe interferes somewhat with some scheduling, especially Christmastime games.
FIFA originally said it would not offer compensation to clubs for the switch, but announced Friday it would triple payments for the 2022 tournament, as well as the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
That comes to US$209 million (CA$262 million), shared among clubs for both games.
The European Club Association, which welcomed the move, also said they would have a say on the International match calendar, according to the Guardian.
SOURCE: FIFA | The Guardian
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