Winter World Cup

The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is set to be held in the months of November and December for the first time in the history of the tournament, according to US sports magazine "Sports Illustrated."

Citing multiple sources, the magazine stated the decision has been as good as confirmed, saying a FIFA task force will make the recommendation next week to stage the tournament over the northern hemisphere's winter months. The publication says FIFA's executive committee will also finalize the plan when it meets next month in Zurich.

Should the decision be confirmed, it would be the first time a FIFA World Cup has been held during the football-packed European winter. It seems that organizers want to avoid the scorching summer heat in Qatar (also located in the northern hemisphere), which would presumably be a challenge for players and fans.

The report stated the date change would impact just one European club season, with clubs hoping to reduce some international match dates to help players deal with the extra workload. However, there is no such plan regarding the FIFA Confederations Cup, which is staged the year before the World Cup in the host nation as a test run for the showcase event.

Unpopular with European clubs

Last December, the European Clubs Association and European Professional Football Leagues organizations put together a proposal for playing the 2022 World Cup from May to June.

"The May option is the best alternative to the traditional June-July timing," said their proposal. "It retains the logical calendar order and avoids compressing such an important competition as the World Cup in the middle of the traditional and busy club football season."

The 2022 FIFA World Cup has already come under fire due to poor working conditions on some of the tournament's building sites. Some national football federations have called for the event to be moved elsewhere, but FIFA's Sepp Blatter says football's governing body will stick with their decision.