European countries have given their overall backing to moving the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Britain’s FIFA vice-president confirmed today.
Jim Boyce said the 54 UEFA associations meeting in Croatia want FIFA to consult with the game’s major stakeholders before making any decision about whether the tournament is moved to the winter or another country altogether.
However, the ongoing row over the staging of the tournament saw former England captain Rio Ferdinand tweet today: “This World Cup comedy show is a farce. Why give it to Qatar if the weather was an issue? When has it not been hot in the desert in June?”
FIFA’s executive committee are expected to agree in principle to moving the World Cup to the winter at their meeting in Zurich in October.
Boyce said: “What has come out of this meeting, and what I think is sensible, is an agreement by the UEFA countries that the World Cup cannot be played in Qatar in the summer. Everyone was in agreement.
“But what the 54 countries do not want FIFA to do is to make a decision yet on exactly when it is going to be.
“There is still nine years to go and people feel FIFA should sit down with all the major stakeholders and come up with a solution that would cause the minimum disruption to football.There is plenty of time to do that and hopefully football will be the winner.”
