FIFA Weighs Moving Future World Cups Out of Summer, Infantino Says
Infantino told club leaders in Rome that climate risks are driving a formal review of the football calendar.
Overview
- The FIFA president said discussions are underway on scheduling tournaments in months like March or October to enable play in all regions without extreme heat.
- FIFA has not announced any decision, but the review now explicitly considers upcoming editions, including 2026 in North America and 2034 in Saudi Arabia.
- Recent heat disruptions at the expanded Club World Cup in the United States were cited as a trigger for the broader rethink.
- A report from The Athletic says FIFA is exploring a mid-season slot for 2034 in Saudi Arabia, possibly shifting the event to January–February 2035 to avoid Ramadan, which remains unconfirmed.
- The 2022 Qatar World Cup set the precedent by moving to November–December, showing that non-summer scheduling is workable.