Qatar bullish over World Cup suitability

Organisers of the 2022 FIFA World Cup have insisted that Qatar is a suitable choice to hold the tournament.

The Qatar 2022 supreme committee hit back following claims from English Football Association chairman Greg Dyke that hosting the competition in the Qatari summer would be “impossible” due to the extreme heat in the Arab nation.

Fears regarding the climate have long been held over the 22nd edition of international football’s most prestigious tournament, with a switch to the winter months later in the calendar mooted as a likely outcome.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has already conceded that players and fans alike could struggle with the heat, while general secretary Jerome Valcke admitted in March that the tournament may be moved.

The average temperature in the Qatari capital, Doha, in July 2012 was 41 degrees Celsius.

The competition’s organising body maintain that they will be able to host the tournament at any time of year, with the supreme committee telling BBC Sport: “It was the right decision to award the World Cup to the Middle East for the first time in 2022.

“We are ready to host in summer or winter. We have always maintained that this issue requires the agreement of the international football community.

“A decision to alter the dates of the 2022 FIFA World Cup would not affect our infrastructure planning.”