Michel Platini backs winter 2022 football World Cup in Qatar

UEFA President Michel Platini has said that he supports the idea of shifting the 2022 World Cup in Qatar from summer to winter to avoid extreme desert temperatures.

Platini said that it would be easier to play the World Cup in January, instead of in June.

“It’s true that if we talk about the World Cup in the Gulf in January, that would be easier than to play in June. On that I agree, and why not? It’s possible,” The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Platini, as saying.

“There are some issues that need to be addressed though. How much rest time will we give to the players after the World Cup? If we play in January, well, will it be a February off and then we start again in March? We will discuss this heavily in the months and years to come,” he added.

Concerns have been expressed around the ability of tiny Qatar to host such a mammoth sporting event, particularly during its summer when temperatures can reach 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit).

However, Platini defended FIFA’s decision saying that players already had to face extreme heat at the 1994 World Cup in the United States.

“The temperature in Dallas was 45 degrees, if I’m not mistaken, in 1994 and nobody criticised the US at the time,” Platini said.