BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND – FEBRUARY 28: FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke answers questions from the media at the International Football Association Board AGM at the Culloden Hotel on February 28, 2015 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

FIFA confirms December date for 2022 World Cup Final

Posted by on Mar 19, 2015 12:35

Ever since the bid of Qatar won the voting for the rights to the 2022 World Cup speculation has surrounded a move to the winter. On Thursday the world’s soccer governing body, FIFA, made the move official with the announcement of the dates for the 2022 World Cup.

According to a report by the BBC, the 2022 World Cup Final will take place on December 18, 2022. That means the rumored November-December World Cup dates will indeed happen.

This move wasn’t unexpected as a FIFA taskforce made a recommendation of the change to a winter World Cup last month.

It will certainly make for an interesting holiday season, as the World Cup will overlap with many religious celebrations. There’s little doubt that holiday parties are about to look a whole lot different for a lot of people around the world.

This announcement came on the heels of FIFA awarding the 2019 Women’s World Cup to France, again a move that was long speculated to be happening.

It also means there is going to be a major fight between European clubs and the international game on hand. The European Club Association (ECA) has already vowed to fight for compensation for the lost games and revenue due to the month-long change that’s about to happen.

Just don’t expect UEFA’s president, Michel Platini to support their efforts.

“I always said it will be a winter World Cup,” said Platini, via EuroSport.com. “I always said I’ll vote for Qatar but do my best for winter. I am totally coherent with what I said four years ago. I vote for what I am convinced is good for football.”

Paltini also points out that in many leagues around the world playing the World Cup in the summer of the Northern Hemisphere is winter for those in the Southern and they don’t receive compensation because of it.

There’s no doubt that the soccer calendar we’ve all grown to know and love is going to be uprooted — because C.R.E.A.M. baby!

Controversy has been part of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar from the word go, and even if the dates are now set in stone, the controversy isn’t going to go anywhere anytime soon.

Still, there’s no more speculation and fans are just going to have to get used to something new, because like it or not FIFA’s doing what FIFA wants.

About Andrew Coppens

Andy is a contributor to The Comeback as well as Publisher of Big Ten site talking10. He also is a member of the FWAA and has been covering college sports since 2011. Andy is an avid soccer fan and runs the Celtic FC site The Celtic Bhoys. If he's not writing about sports, you can find him enjoying them in front of the TV with a good beer!

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