FIFA: No plans for winter World Cup

FIFA today announced there is no certainty the 2022 World Cup will be staged in winter.

The high temperatures in Qatar during summer months has led to talk of the tournament being moved to a cooler time of year.

That has in turn caused concern for domestic leagues which would see their seasons interrupted by the unusual positioning of the tournament in the football calendar.

FIFA today clarified their position, stressing Qatar would have to make the first move if the 2022 tournament is to take place in winter.

A FIFA statement said: “At this stage there are no concrete plans to change the international match calendar.

“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.”