Premier League Reload - Matchday 8
Oct 10The first ever winter World Cup is upon us. Qatar 2022 will take place from late November to late December as 32 nations battle it out for the greatest prize in international football.
But with the tournament slap bang in the middle of the Premier League's busiest time of the season, how will Qatar 2022 disrupt the English top flight? BT Sport have you covered with a full breakdown.
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When is the World Cup 2022 taking place?
The 2022 Qatar World Cup will begin on 21 November with the first game taking place between Senegal and the Netherlands at the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha.
The World Cup group stages will run until 2 December and following it's conclusion, the knockout stages will begin the following day. The tournament final is on 18 December at the 80,000-capacity Lusail Stadium.
World Cup 2022 key dates
- August 6: Premier League season begins
- November 12/13: Final round of Premier League games before World Cup 2022
- November 21: World Cup 2022 starts
- December 3/6: Round of 16
- December 9/10: Quarter-finals
- December 13/14: Semi-finals
- December 18: World Cup 2022 final
- December 26: Premier League resumes
When will the Premier League break for the World Cup 2022?
The 2022/23 Premier League season begins on August 6/7, one week earlier than the previous campaign, and ends on Sunday 28 May.
For the first time ever, the Premier League will take a prolonged mid-season break to accommodate the winter 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The final weekend before players are called up by their respective countries will be November 12/13 for Matchday 16 of the Premier League season.
The Premier League campaign will then resume on Boxing Day with Matchday 17, just eight days after the World Cup final on December 18.
Why is the 2022 Qatar World Cup taking place in the winter?
The World Cup will take place in the winter due to the soaring summer temperatures in the Arabian country making it largely unplayable for footballers.
Temperatures in the summer typically reach 36 degrees celsius in Qatar whereas in the winter the heat drops to a more manageable 21 to 25 degrees celsius.
The domestic Qatar Stars League runs from September until April to avoid the excessive heat though even in April the temperature can reach 32 degrees celsius.
The issues of heat and humidity are being addressed by an air-conditioning system placed within each of the eight stadiums being used at the 2022 World Cup.
