Qatar Insists It Will Host 2022 FIFA World Cup As Planned

Qatar continues to insist that it will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup as planned, despite growing concerns that the country's scorching summer temperatures would pose a health and safety risk to fans and players alike.

"The only question now is when, not if," said Nasser Al Khater, director of communications for Qatar 2022, in a statement. "Summer or winter, we will be ready."

Qatar was awarded the games in 2010, and since then, officials have worked to improve cooling technologies that promise to keep the stadiums, training facilities and fan zones at a comfortable temperature, according to a Reuters report.

"We have proven that a FIFA World Cup in Qatar in the summer is possible with state-of-the-art cooling technology," said Al Khater. "We have demonstrated that our cooling works in outdoor areas beyond stadiums. This summer we welcomed fans in Doha to an open-air Brazil 2014 Fan Zone with temperatures cooled to a comfortable 22 degrees Celsius.

"The evolution of environmentally-friendly cooling technologies is an important legacy for our nation, region and for countries with similar climates - promising to expand the reach of hosting major sporting events to countries where it was never thought possible before."

Still, one FIFA official says he is confident the games will be moved elsewhere when all is said and done.

Executive board member Theo Zwanzinger of Germany has come forward as the biggest - or, at least the most outspoken - opponent of Qatar 2022.

"Personally, I believe that the 2022 World Cup will not take place in Qatar in the end," he told Sport Bild, as reported by ABC News. "The doctors say ­- and I have demanded to have this registered in the records - that they can't be held responsible for a summer World Cup held in those conditions." 

FIFA is looking into the option of holding the games in January-February or November-December 2022, but as Reuters points out, neither is a perfect solution because it would wreak havoc on the domestic leagues worldwide.