Qatar: World Cup set to take place in winter

World football governing body Fifa is set to decide that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – already a highly controversial choice of venue – should be held from late November to late December, because of Qatar’s soaring temperatures in the summer months when the tournament is usually held. After six months of consultation, a Fifa task force chaired by Bahrain’s Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa said on 24 February that it was also recommending the competition schedule be reduced by a few days.