UEFA president Platini backs calls for January World Cup in Qatar 2022

UEFA president Michel Platini said he supports the idea of shifting the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to winter from summer to avoid extreme desert temperatures.

After a Uefa executive committee meeting in Prague yesterday, Platini said it would be easier to organise the World Cup in January, instead of June. "It's true that if we talk about the World Cup in the Gulf in January, that would be easier than to play in June," Platini said. "On that I agree, and why not? It's possible."

Qatar received the 2022 World Cup last week, despite fears the intense heat poses a serious health risk if the tournament is played in summer. But Platini defended the choice of Qatar, saying players already had to face extreme heat at the 1994 World Cup in the United States.

"The temperature in Dallas was 45 degrees (113 F), if I'm not mistaken, in 1994 and nobody criticised the US at the time," he said.

Such a change would conflict with the schedules of Europe's major domestic leagues plus the Champions League, and Platini said that would be among a number of issues needing to be addressed. "How much rest time will we give to the players after the World Cup?" he asked.

"If we play in January, well, will it be a February off and then we start again in March?"

Platini said Fifa still had 12 years to solve the issue.