Should Qatar decide to host its 2022 World Cup in the winter, it would be the first time the world's greatest football showcase is not played in summer, with all the controversy that would entail. No sooner had Qatar won the right to host the event in December 2010 than the controversy about its summer heat began, beginning with Michel Platini, the president of European federation UEFA who demanded a timing switch. Last week, UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino joined the calls for the tournament to be held in the winter amid fears over the scorching temperatures in the Qatari summer. And recently, FIFA supremo Sepp Blatter spoke about his concerns about the temperatures, opining that while you can air-cool the stadiums you cannot air-cool the entire country. One wonders why there is such controversy over the heat. World Cups in Mexico 1970 and 1986 and the United States 1994 also faced massive heat yet the three were big sporting successes. Are the world's football powers kicking around a future host country because it is a Muslim Arab state? Are they upset that Qatar won the bid over some Western countries, including the US, and are thus seeking some form of revenge by flexing their muscles? And what of Qatar? It buckles at the first hint of controversy. The Qataris have promised revolutionary air-cooling engineering for the stadiums. Yes, temperatures can reach as high as 50 degrees Celsius during the two hottest months of the year in Qatar, but bid organizers say that all the stadiums will be climate-controlled and zero-carbon emitting to combat the heat. In addition, matches could be played late into the night. There is also clear confusion over who is to make the final decision. Blatter had said initially that this was a matter for the Qatar organizers, but apparently the host country does not get the final say in the matter, another sign of possible bias. It seems that FIFA will determine Qatar's World Cup season, especially after its supreme committee for the World Cup admitted that it is prepared to alter the schedule. But with the change comes many problems. Shifting the timing of the finals would be met by considerable opposition from European clubs. It would have an impact on the fixture schedules in the top European leagues for they would probably have to change their annual rhythm for at least one season. Another problem: Since the Winter Olympic Games is already scheduled for early 2022 this would mean having to share the spotlight with this major sporting event. Then there are the countries that Qatar outmaneuvered in the bidding battle. Australia, Japan, South Korea and the US all bid on the assumption that the World Cup would be held in the summer. Had it been known to them that the cup would be played in winter, the bidding campaigns, and hence the outcome, could have been much different. Although Qatar's World Cup is still nine years away, for reasons connected with the European league football calendar and long-term television contracts, a decision will be needed by 2016 at the latest. It was uncharted territory when Qatar won the bid to host the World Cup, the first in the Middle East. But Qatar's heat was not a surprise. Qatar did not suddenly become a hot country. Its summer temperatures were high when it was bidding and remained high when it won the bid. The 24 FIFA officials who voted for Qatar knew that all along. What has changed?
