'2022 Qatar WC likely to be held in winter to avoid scorching summer'

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is expected to be staged in November and December in order to evade the region's scorching summer heat, believes Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa.

The AFC boss, who heads the FIFA taskforce charged with investigating potential dates for the 2022 World Cup, said that the period best suited for hosting the 2022 World Cup in Qatar would be in November and December because for sure it needs to be played in the winter , Sport24 reported.

Reflecting on the issue, he further said that the matter had been resolved, the report added.

Earlier, FIFA president Sepp Blatter had admitted that 2022 World Cup cannot be played in its traditional June-July slot as average temperatures in Qatar tends to increase to nearly 50 degree C, raising health concerns.

Image: A replica of the FIFA World Cup trophy in the Souq Waqif traditional market in Doha

Photograph: Sean Gallup/Getty Images