FIFA Confirms 2022 World Cup in Qatar, 28-Day Tournament November to December

FIFA has confirmed the dates for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Instead of the usual summer dates, the World Cup will be played in November and December and will last for 28 days.

Normally, the FIFA World Cup is played during the summer, as fútbol, or soccer is a summer sport. However, due to the fact that the Arabian country, Qatar has extremely hot temperatures during the summer time (temperatures in Qatar can reach an average of 110 degrees Fahrenheit), the time frame had to be changed for the competition.

As reported by Bleacher Report, in March, FIFA moved forward with the plan to switch the time frame in order to avoid the summer heat for both players and fans. Apparently, a decision was also made to make sure the event was completed in time for the winter holiday period.

Therefore, for the safety of the athletes, and of course the fans, the dates of the World Cup really have changed. The 2022 FIFA World Cup is now scheduled to begin on November 21 and it will last though December 18, which just happens to be Qatar's national holiday.

"For us it's a major step, because finally we know and we can move forward," FIFA director of communications Walter de Gregorio said as per Joshua Robinson of the Wall Street Journal. "At least we know that the final will not be the 23rd [of December], so time to make Christmas shopping and time to go home."

Now, according to ESPN, this date change could be slightly problematic for FIFA because of Europe's biggest leagues.

However, given the fact that this tournament will last 28 days, rather than the usual 32, the potential revenue loss of the European leagues may not actually be too big of a deal, especially since the tournament cycle was purposely cut short in an effort cause less disruption to clubs and leagues who would, unfortunately, be forced shut down for several peak midseason weeks.

According to USA Today, FIFA president Sepp Blatter was set to hold a news conference at the FIFA Executive Committee meeting in Zurich on Friday, but that conference was canceled.

Luckily, we are still seven years away from the World Cup, and a lot can still change.