No High-Tech AC Means 2022 World Cup Moves to Winter
ZURICH—A FIFA taskforce has recommended that the 2022 World Cup be held in winter to avoid the hot summer temperatures in Qatar. The recommendation is expected to be made offical by FIFA’s executive committee later this month. During the bidding process, Qatar pitched the idea of a solar cooling technology that would cool stadiums, training fields, and fan zones. The technology was intended to lower the average temperatures of 41°C (106°F) in Doha to 23°C (73°F). However, critics said the solar-powered chiller system would be too expensive and have a larger carbon footprint than FIFA allows. Also, the architect designing the Sports City Stadium in Doha fought to persuade the organizers to drop the cooling system because it would not be good from a long-term sustainability point of view. While no official dates have been announced, the tournament, which has always been held in the summer, will likely start in late November and go on until the latter half of December. Other cooler months would conflict with the month of Ramadan or the Winter Olympics in 2022.