22 Jan 2011

FIFA says no concrete plans to change international calendar

12:56 pm on 22 January 2011

Football's ruling body FIFA has quashed talk of a winter World Cup in 2022, saying it has no plans to change the international calendar and that any switch of dates would have to be proposed by the Qatari hosts.

Qatar has already said it wants to stage the tournament in the summer as presented in its bid.

The statement appeared to mark a U-turn as FIFA president Sepp Blatter said this month that he expected the tournament to be staged in the winter.