FIFA has officially announced that the 2022 Qatar World Cup will be held in from November to December, a departure from its typical normal summer schedule.
According to the Guardian, the upcoming tournament will be held from Nov. 21 to Dec. 18, spanning just 28 days, the shortest a world cup will be.
This announcement comes after a controversial bidding process that saw Qatar win the right to host the tournament after much alleged bribing of FIFA officials and also many-reported worker deaths while constructing the stadiums.
After Qatar was awarded the world cup, much concern was raised about the scorching summer months in Qatar with temperatures regularly topping 50C (122F) during June and July, months during which the world cup normally takes place.
On Friday, controversy embroiled FIFA president Sepp Blatter was scheduled to address the press at a news conference in Zurich, but that conference was suddenly canceled and it was later revealed that Swiss prosecutors had opened criminal proceedings against the embattled FIFA president.
Regardless, the decision to move the world cup to winter has been an unpopular one amongst players, coaches, and other soccer officials, as the winter schedule means the winter timeframe will cut into many of the world’s professional leagues, including top European leagues such the Premier League, La Liga and Bundesliga.
CONFIRMED: FIFA decides 2022 World Cup in Qatar will start November 21 & to be played in just 28 days. Final on Dec 18, Qatar National Day
— Rob Harris (@RobHarris) September 25, 2015
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