The 2022 Qatar World Cup has been one of the biggest controversies in the history of FIFA and now the games could be moved from the summer to November and December, as the temperatures in Qatar are expected to be too hot and this could cause some massive scheduling issues for the English Premier League and other world soccer leagues.
According to SI.com, FIFA is looking to move the event to the winter time, as they are worried about the high temperatures in the Middle East. SI's Grant Wahl writes that sources have said that the deal is already done and that a group of FIFA members will meet next week in Doha to officially recommend the move. Teams in Europe and around the world likely will not be happy, as that comes right in the middle of their season.
The reasoning for FIFA simply giving the rights to Fox and their other partners for the next World Cup had many people scratching their heads, but this move could shed some insight. According to SI.com, the organization may have not opened up the bidding to make it up to Fox for the Qatar move. The time difference and the change in dates likely will hurt the ratings and this was a way to make it up to the network.
USA Today writes that while many have asked FIFA why the high temperatures are such a surprise, as this was all brought up at the time it was being awarded, it's just FIFA business as usual. There has been a lot of back room dealing and controversy regarding this event and this shows that the organization is always out for the dollar and not about the sport itself. Either way, there could be some major issues and ramifications if the dates are moved.
