World Cup 2022 – the year of playing endlessly
A hypothetical calendar has been produced which anticipates how the football calendar might look in 2022 if, as expected, the Qatar World Cup in that year is moved from summer to winter.
The challenge for football administrators at both a national and international level will be to mesh the conflicting demands of clubs and countries. Hundreds of millions of pounds are at stake.
So one theoretical timetable, as drawn up by Associated Press, predicts the following –
- May 2022: the European club season ends
- July 2022: Champions League qualifiers
- Mid-July 2022: European league seasons begin
- August 2022: Champions League playoffs/group stages
- September 2022: Euro 2024 qualifiers
- October 2022: Euro 2024 qualifiers
- October 2022: Champions League group stages
- November 2022: Champions League group stages
- 4 November 2022: players released before World Cup
- 18 November 2022: World Cup begins
- 18 December 2022: World Cup final
- 24 December 2022: Premier League Christmas programme