Task force says the 2022 World Cup in Qatar must be played in November and December

It's still seven years away, but setting a date for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is already posing a bit of a problem due to hot temperatures and other sporting events.

Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa, the head of FIFA's task force that determines possible tournament dates, said that May — the month preferred by several of the top leagues and clubs in Europe — won't work, and sees November and December as the only option, the BBC reports. In a statement, a spokesman for the Premier League said, "The 2022 World Cup was bid for and awarded to Qatar as a summer tournament. The prospect of a winter World Cup is neither workable nor desirable for European domestic football."

When Qatar submitted proposals for the World Cup, it said air conditioned stadiums, training grounds, and areas for fans would be built, but now the big worry is that high temperatures in May, June, and July could make players ill. Because of the heat and the Winter Olympics in January and February 2022, the only solution is November and December, Al-Khalifa said. "All parties have to compromise, not just the Europeans," he said. "Hopefully we can settle this once and for all." The final tournament date will be approved by FIFA’s executive committee in March.

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