UEFA Confirm Support to Move 2022 Qatar World Cup to the Winter

FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce has confirmed that European countries have handed their overall support to move the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to the winger.

There has been increasingly vocal support to change the date of the World Cup and Boyce has now revealed that 54 UEFA associations want FIFA to consider changing the exact date for the now-controversial tournament.

The world governing body will meet in Zurich early next month when a decision is expected to be made to move the tournament away from the summer months when temperatures can reach more than 50 degrees centigrade

"There were certain reservations regarding the World Cup in Qatar but everyone agreed that it would be impossible to play in the severe heat of Qatar in the summer," revealed Boyce.

"What the member associations want to see at the FIFA ExCo in October is that a task force is set up for everyone involved in Qatar to sit around the table and come up with the best solution with the minimum disruption.

"They all agreed to take thousands of fans to the greatest sporting event in the world in the middle of the summer would be just impossible.

"It's very important we get this right, it's very important that everyone involved has a meeting, the people with their concerns as well but it is most important is that we have a World Cup where spectators can go and enjoy themselves.

"At the end of the day, the best interests of football have to be sorted out and I am very confident that will be done. It's purely a one-off.

"It's wrong to speculate at the moment when this is going to be played. The stakeholders need to sit down and come up with the best solution. Many leagues in Europe have a break but my own preference would be for the end of January and early February. Hopefully FIFA will come up with the right solution."

Just last month UEFA president Michel Platini had spoken of his concern at playing in soaring temperatures and it seems as though FIFA may now look to stage the tournament in November or December so that it does not clash with the Winter Olympics.

Moving the tournament will create major issues for clubs around the world, but especially in Europe as it is when the Champions League is normally in full swing.

Moving the tournament away from the summer is likely to cause major disruptions to a number of leagues and FIFPro, the worldwide body that represents professional footballers, has revealed its concern.

A statement read: "For FIFPro, protecting the health and safety of professional footballers is of paramount importance and must drive decision making at all levels of football.

"FIFPro is well aware of the particular threat of playing professional football in extreme heat. Medical and scientific experts are clear that playing in such conditions is hazardous and requires sporting organisations to have strong and proactive policies that ensure players are not subjected to any unreasonable risk to their health and safety.

"Professional footballers are workers in the eyes of the law. Accordingly, football authorities, including FIFA, the confederations, the clubs and the member associations are legally obliged to provide a safe working environment and cannot subject this obligation to other business considerations.

"The whole issue of the international match calendar is a matter for separate debate. FIFPro looks forward to participating in detailed consultation and deliberation of all stakeholders before any radical change is made."