2022 World Cup Reportedly to Be Played in November, December

According to Grant Wahl and his sources, FIFA is ready to move the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and it will be played in November and December. This would be a shift from the usual June-July timeframe. The IOC didn’t want FIFA interfering with the Winter Olympics time frame and this news raising many questions and red flags.

Live Feed

MLS Multiplex

Wahl’s reports comes on the heels of FIFA extending the TV rights to Fox Sports and Telemundo through the 2026 World Cup. Originally, their contract only went through the 2022 World Cup. The extension, which blindsided ESPN and UniMas, came without the normal bidding process. One theory behind this strange behavior of FIFA was that Fox and Telemundo wouldn’t put a fight up to FIFA switching the timeframe of the 2022 World Cup.

While it’s understandable why the World Cup would move to cooler months in Qatar, the move could many issues. First, FIFA will have to work with domestic leagues around the world to make sure their leagues don’t clash with the World Cup. However, that will be difficult for leagues like MLS and EPL. The former league’s playoffs take place in November and December and can’t be shifted much due to the climate of their various teams. On the other hand, EPL is in full swing during November and December. It would be easier for the EPL to take a break for the World Cup than MLS, but still it’s something the league isn’t used to doing. The World Cup usually falls during the league’s off-season when it is in June and July.

On the other hand, other countries’ federations may want to sue FIFA for moving the World Cup. Countries, like Australia, would have bid on the 2022 World Cup if FIFA advertised it as a Winter World Cup. Australia did bid for the 2022 World Cup, but a Summer World Cup takes place during their Winters. On the flip side, a Winter World Cup would be during Summer in Australia. This would have solved some of the issues with their initial 2022 World Cup bid. Instead, FIFA swindled other countries, allegedly accepted bribes, and chose Qatar over the USA for the bid.

While it’s logical a Winter World Cup, or a World Cup during cooler months could work, FIFA went about it in a corrupt manner. Their lack of transparency has frustrated many people. All in all, a move to a Winter World Cup has been in the works for a while, but now it appears that it is truly happening according to Grant Wahl. The move makes sense on some levels, but it causes headaches in many other areas as well.

Next: Philadelphia Union Players Deliver Season Tickets

[recentpost align=”middle”]