2022 World Cup set to kick off in November to avoid Qatar's summer heat

The recommendation was made to ensure that the health of players and fans will not be endangered.

17:10 24 February 2015

The 2022 World Cup tournament should take place in November and December to ensure that the health of the players and fans will not be endangered due to the extreme summer temperatures in Qatar, which can exceed 40C, it has been suggested. However, the temperature normally drops to 25C in November and December.

The recommendation made by the Fifa taskforce is expected to be ratified by Fifa’s executive committee in Zurich in 19 and 20 March.

Meanwhile, task force chief Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa also recommended that the 2022 tournament should be shortened by a few days. However, Fifa has already said that there are no plans to reduce the size of the tournament from 32 teams or 64 matches.

Sheikh Salman said: "We are very pleased that, after careful consideration of the various opinions and detailed discussions with all stakeholders, we have identified what we believe to be the best solution for the 2018-2024 international match calendar and football in general.

"It was a challenging task and I want to thank all members of the football community for their productive input and constructiveness in helping to find a solution that we believe can work for everyone."