Moving the dates of the '22 FIFA World Cup in Qatar to November and December is "a done deal," according to sources cited by Grant Wahl of SI.com. A FIFA task force "will meet in Doha next week and make that recommendation, and the FIFA Executive Committee is set to make the decision final at its meeting in Zurich next month." The current plan "is for only one European club season to be impacted schedule-wise, which the clubs are hoping to achieve by cutting some international dates" (SI.com, 2/18). FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke three weeks ago told Paris-based France Info radio that the World Cup in Qatar “should be staged in winter but clashing” with the ’22 Olympic Games in February “was also a concern” (AFP, 2/18). In Phoenix, Andrew Joseph noted a move of the World Cup to winter “was hinted when FIFA shockingly extended the U.S. broadcasting rights” of the ‘26 World Cup for Fox and Telemundo last Thursday. With “all the money Fox paid for a summer tournament, moving the World Cup to the winter without addressing that concern would have brought Fox execs and lawyers up in arms” (AZCENTRAL.com, 2/18).
RAMIFICATIONS FROM THE MOVE: SPORTS ON EARTH's Cy Brown wrote the move is "an attempt to protect players and fans from watching the games in the ridiculous heat of a Qatari summer." The decision "has long been backed" by FIFA President Sepp Blatter, but the move will "certainly have ramifications." Most pro soccer leagues, "including all the best in Europe, are in their respective seasons' full-swing by November and December." Early winter also "is prime NFL and college football time, so it's only logical to ask how this move will affect those trying to view all the footballs." Qatar is eight hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, "so early kickoffs in Qatar will be played in the wee hours of the morning in America, and the late games should be finished before any American football games kickoff." Brown: "That also means that U.S. soccer nerds may be the only ones watching" (SPORTSONEARTH.com, 2/18). ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser asked of the date change, "That’s a big difference?" ESPN’s Michael Wilbon: “You mean the difference between 78 degrees and 124?” Kornheiser replied, “And the difference of going against NFL football.” Wilbon noted, “The games are so early, they’re like 4:00am” (“PTI,” ESPN, 2/18).
