Club World Cup could be moved to winter in switch that would play havoc with Premier League

The Club World Cup could yet be moved to Qatar as representatives from the country lobby with FIFA to make the switch from America – but it would mean it being held in December

Qatar have expressed an interest in hosting the Club World Cup in 2029 after its inaugural showing in the United States this summer – but they would have to move it to the winter.

Qatari representatives have held talks with FIFA’s highest ranking officials during the tournament in America and indicated a desire to stage the next edition in four years’ time, but it would play havoc with the domestic football calendar if they did take it to the Middle East.

Back in 2022 Qatar held the World Cup, but the climate in their country meant it had to be held in the winter, forcing every domestic league to pause for over a month.

But those in the Middle East have put forward a strong sales pitch to FIFA and have claimed they could host a carbon-neutral tournament. The current Club World Cup has involved teams flying all over the United States with venues in 11 different cities.

The nine stadiums Qatar built to host the World Cup remain in place. They could be all be utilised with the size of their country meaning they could minimise staging costs and travel for fans, reports the Guardian.

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Even during the tournament in America, which has lower average temperatures than Qatar, there have been mass complaints over the conditions by the players. The global players’ union Fifpro set to address their welfare concerns in a press conference on Monday.

It means that any discussion of a Club World Cup in December 2029 in Qatar would result in heavy backlash from the European leagues including the Premier League due to the disruption it would cause to domestic seasons.

Jurgen Klopp is among those to criticise the Club World Cup, with his gripes largely centring on player welfare. “It’s a pointless competition,” he said. “Whoever wins it will be the worst winner of all time because they’ll have played all summer and then gone straight back into the league. There are people who have never been involved in the day-to-day business of football and are now coming up with ideas.“

He also added: “It’s too many games. I fear next season we will see injuries like never before. If not then, they’ll come during or after the Club World Cup. There’s no real recovery for those involved, neither physically nor mentally.“

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