It seems that with each passing day we inch closer and closer to a winter World Cup in 2022.
And the tournament is still nine years away. So strap in tight, this could be a long one.
Today European football federations agreed it would be “impossible” to stage the 2022 World Cup in Qatar during the summer and will set up a task force to find an alternative.
After a meeting with 54 European football federations in Dubrovnik, Croatia, FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce told Sky television: “Obviously there are certain reservations regarding the World Cup in Qatar but everyone agrees that it would be impossible to play in the severe heat of Qatar in the summer.”
According the Boyce, “[All 54 countries] agree that to play the World Cup, to take thousands of fans to the biggest sporting event in the middle of summer would be impossible.”
During FIFA’s next executive committee meeting, scheduled for October 3rd, Boyce claims the 54 nations, along with representatives from Qatar, will hash out a solution.
Despite the backlash Qatar remains open to staging the tournament in the summer, promising air-conditioned stadiums using newly environmentally-friendly technology that would cool stadiums to 84 degrees Fahrenheit.
For those keeping score at home, here’s a list of where the majority of players fall when it comes the 2022 World Cup:
- FIFA president Sepp Blatter: in favor of a winter World Cup and is organization had never specially stated that the World Cup had to be held in summer
- UEFA president Michel Platini: in favor of holding the tournament in January and February of 2022
- U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati: opposes voting on October 3rd, noting that it’s too early to make a sensible decision
- Australia’s soccer chief Frank Lowy: claims non-winning 2022 bidders should be compensated if the move goes ahead to switch to a winter World Cup
- FIFA medical committee chairman Michel D’Hooghe: says that for the health of the players and the fans, the tournament must be played in the winter
- Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore: wants the tournament to be played in the summer, as scheduled, to prevent conflict with England’s domestic fixtures
