The timeline for the tournament will also be slightly compressed, being played in 28 days. The 2014 World Cup was played in 32 days, from June 14, 2014 to a final on July 15. Four days may not seem like a lot, but the World Cup schedule is already tight with teams often playing games with quick turnarounds. Four games is no small amount when it comes to scheduling rest times for these teams.
The tournament is being moved due to concerns about the heat of Qatar in the summer, which can reach 120 degrees Fahrenheit on a summer day. November, when the tournament will be held, isn’t a lot cooler — The average daily temperature in mid-November in Qatar is 86 degrees Fahrenheit, though by December it usually cools down to the mid-70s as an average daily high, according to
FIFA’s biggest concern now is not the weather but possible litigation from club leagues around the world. November to December is a key part of the regular season for the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and the Bundesliga, not to mention the countless other European club leagues that play from fall to spring. MLS is unique with its summer schedule.
Top leagues (and, more importantly, their sponsors) will not be excited to A) cancel games or B) risk losing the top players for a month of the regular season. Very few people will be tuning into a Manchester City – Manchester United match if all of the good players are in Qatar and England is playing that week. That has sponsors and leagues scared, and angry, and very likely litigious.
This saga is far from over, but for now, it looks like we’re having a World Cup in November and December.
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