Next Club World Cup ‘could be held in WINTER’ as new nation mulling bid to host tournament

THE Club World Cup could be held during WINTER and play havoc with the Premier League schedule.

Qatar have expressed an interest in being the next host of Fifa’s expanded tournament after its inaugural showing in the United States this summer.

Qatar has expressed interest in bidding to host the 2029 Club World Cup

The Lusail Iconic Stadium in Qatar hosted the 2022 World Cup final

But due to extreme temperatures during Qatari summers, the nation would have to host the Club World Cup in December, like they did with the 2022 World Cup.

Qatari representatives held talks with Fifa’s highest ranking officials in the US about a possible swap last week, according to The Guardian.

The Middle East nation has shown a desire to stage the next edition in four years’ time in December 2029.

But this would be fiercely opposed by European leagues, including the Premier League, because of the disruption it would cause to domestic seasons.

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Qatar’s summer bid for the 2022 World Cup was moved to winter due to the extreme climate, forcing every domestic league to pause for more than a month.

But those in the Middle East have put forward a strong sales pitch to Fifa, claiming they could host a carbon-neutral Club World Cup.

The current tournament has involved teams flying all over the US with venues in 11 different cities.

The nine stadiums Qatar built to host the World Cup remain in place, and could be used meaning they could minimise staging costs and travel for fans.

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Players have complained about the weather conditions at the Club World Cup, with Chelsea’s last-16 win over Benfica suspended for TWO HOURS due to “the risk of lightning in the vicinity of Bank of America Stadium”.

It was the sixth game of the tournament that has been suspended due to seasonal summer thunderstorms, with players launching huge complaints.

Chelsea’s 4-1 win over Benfica nearly went on for five hours on Saturday

Stars from several clubs have complained about the conditions and the global players’ union FifPro is due to address their welfare concerns in a press conference on Monday.

Experts also warned players to prepare for frequent weather-related delays at the 2026 World Cup hosted in the US, Mexico and Canada next year.

And while the date has yet to be confirmed there is widespread expectation that the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia will be shifted to the winter.

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