Divided opinion as World Cup in Qatar set for December final

Fifa’s controversial choice of Qatar for the 2022 World Cup has sparked further uproar after a task force recommended playing the tournament in winter with the final being played close to Christmas.

The decision by the Fifa task force was little surprise, given the extreme summer temperatures in Qatar, but the recommended timing of the tournament to end in “late December” came as a shock, especially to football in Britain, where the festive programme is so important to clubs.

There have been suggestions that Fifa’s executive committee, which meets in Zurich on March 19 and 20 for a final decision on the dates, will consider holding the final as late as December 23.