FIFA president Sepp Blatter recently admitted he did “expect” the tournament to be staged in the winter, although Qatar officials have insisted the event can be staged successfully in the summer as specified in the bid plan.
However, FIFA has attempted to clarify its position by stressing that Qatar would have to make the first move if the 2022 tournament is to take place in the winter. “At this stage there are no concrete plans to change the international match calendar,” read a statement from the governing body.
“Any potential move of the 2022 FIFA World Cup from a summer to a winter period would have to be initiated by the football association of Qatar and would have to be presented to the FIFA executive committee,” the statement added.
Earlier this month, Blatter said: “I expect it will be held in the winter. We have time to look at this question, it is still 11 years away but we must decide the most adequate period for a successful World Cup which means January or the end of the year. When you play football you must protect the main people, the players.”
