GENEVA (AP) ― FIFA is targeting two options for holding the 2022 World Cup in the winter in Qatar, and organizers think that is “ideal” for the Middle East.
After a meeting Monday about five proposals on when to play the tournament, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke quickly moved to slim down the field.
“We are getting closer to narrowing the dates for the FIFA World Cup to two options ― January-February 2022 or November-December 2022,” Valcke said in a FIFA statement.
Qatar’s organizing committee leader, Hassan Al Thawadi, said for the first time that hosting the tournament in the searing heat of June and July, as originally scheduled, might not be the best solution.
“(Al Thawadi) outlined that, for the Middle East, the ideal situation and circumstances for an all-inclusive World Cup would be for it to be held in the winter,” according to the FIFA statement.
