Paris, Jan 8 (IANS): The 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be held in the winter instead of the usual June-July period, FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke said Wednesday.
"The dates for the World Cup (in Qatar) will not be June-July," Valcke told Radio France, reports Xinhua.
"To be honest, I think it will be held between Nov 15 and Jan 15 at the latest."
"If you play between Nov 15 and the end of December, that's the time when the weather conditions are best, when you can play in temperatures equivalent to a warm spring season in Europe, averaging 25 degrees."
"That would be perfect for playing football."
The scheduling of the tournament has been hotly debated ever since it was controversially awarded to Qatar in December 2010.
There are concerns that the blistering summer in Qatar would put players in danger.