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UK-based journalist Rob Harris has tweeted that FIFA has confirmed that the Qatar World Cup will be played in the winter, from November 21st to December 28th. Lasting just 28 days, it will be three days shorter than a normal World Cup.
CONFIRMED: FIFA decides 2022 World Cup in Qatar will start November 21 & to be played in just 28 days. Final on Dec 18, Qatar National Day
— Rob Harris (@RobHarris) September 25, 2015The Qatar World Cup has long been surrounded by controversey, and this will surely only add to the misgivings much of the world has with the tournament. For the first time ever, major European leagues such as the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, German Bundesliga, and Italian Serie A will be interrupted by a World Cup.
There has been talk from European soccer's governing body, UEFA, that a boycott of the World Cup could take place, although no official actions or statements have taken place or been made.
The tournament was moved to the winter becasue of wide spread concerns over the heat in the middle eastern country during the summer. Temperatures can get as high as 120 degrees Farenheit. The stadiums being built for the competition were supposed to have state of the art cooling mechanisms.
FIFA's confirmation of the winter time slot for the tournament has been followed by news that Sepp Blatter, president of FIFA, has had criminal proceedings opened up against him by the Swiss government. The Swiss and the United States have been investigating FIFA and Blatter for corruption for some time, including but not limited the aquisition of the 2022 World Cup by Qatar.
This article will be updated as the story unfolds.
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