The 2022 FIFA World
Cup in Qatar will set a series of precedents in the competition's long and prestigious hi
story, despite some expressing concern over FIFA's decision to select them as hosts.
Qatar 2022 will be th
e first World Cup held in the Middle East, as part of FIFA's pledge to stage at least one major in international tournament in the region before 2030.
Alongside that historical decision based on geographical reasons, Qatar 2022 will also be the first-ever World Cup held during the Northern Hemisphere winter months, with a November start and a December finish.
This notion was initially met with opposition from the majority of competing nations, due its impact on domestic European seasons, but FIFA remained steadfast in retaining Qatar as tournament hosts.
Why is the 2022 World Cup being played in the winter?
The decision to host the World Cup in the Northern Hemisphere winter months was a key aspect of Qatar's bid for the 2022 competition, due to soaring summer temperatures in the country.
Despite the opposition to the idea — dating as far back as 2010 — FIFA's two feasibility studies in Qatar, in 2014 and 2015, stated that the tournament was not viable to be played between the traditional June-July slots.
The domestic Qatar Stars League traditionally runs from September to April, due to excessive heat, with even average temperatures at the end of April reaching around 92 F (33 C).
As part of the Qatar 2022 bid team's attempts to address the issues of heat and humidity, including in the winter months, each World Cup stadium will be fitted with a "focused cooling" air-conditioning system.
World Cup 2022 schedule
The 2022 World Cup kicks off on Nov. 20, with hosts Qatar facing a Group A opener against Ecuador in their first-ever World Cup appearance, at the Al Bayt Stadium.
November 20: Opening match of 2022 World Cup (Qatar v Ecuador)
December 2: Group stage concludes
December 3-6: Round of 16
December 9-10: Quarterfinals
December 13-14: Semifinals
December 17: Third Place Match
December 18: Final
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