Revealed: Next Club World Cup could be played in the WINTER as new nation weighs up bid to host tournament

Qatar is reportedly considering a bid to host the 2029 Club World Cup, which, if successful, may see the tournament held during the winter months. 

Qatari officials held discussions with FIFA during this summer’s tournament in the United States, expressing interest in bringing another major competition to the Middle East, according to The Guardian. 

The Gulf Nation has proposed a carbon-neutral 2029 Club World Cup, positioning itself in stark contrast to the United States, where the current edition has involved extensive air travel between 11 host cities.

All nine stadiums constructed for the 2022 World Cup remain in place, with six currently used to stage matches in the Qatar Stars League. 

It is said that  these existing venues could be redeployed for the Club World Cup, significantly reducing infrastructure costs and limiting internal travel for teams and supporters.

However, Qatar’s extreme summer temperatures would present a major challenge. 

Any bid would almost certainly require the tournament to be held in winter, echoing the 2022 World Cup, which was controversially shifted from its traditional summer slot to November and December.

Despite the disruption, that tournament proceeded smoothly and was praised for its logistics and compact infrastructure. 

The proposal for a winter Club World Cup comes amid extreme weather and high temperatures in the US this summer, with Chelsea's last-16 win over Benfica having been significantly halted just minutes before the end. 

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca was furious with how in the 86th minute of their match, play was suspended for nearly two hours due to lightning striking nearby. It left the players twiddling their thumbs in the confines of the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte with scarce updates. 

'For 85 minutes, we were in control of the game,' Maresca told a group of English reporters after their victory in Charlotte. 'We didn't concede nothing. We created enough chances to win the game. And then after the break, the game changed completely. 

'For me personally, it's not football. It's already seven, eight, nine games that they suspended. I think it's a joke, to be honest. It's not football. It's not for us. You cannot be inside. If you suspend seven or eight games that means that probably is not the right place to do this competition.' 

Other games suspended due to storms in the United States have been Benfica versus Auckland City in Orlando, Ulsan versus Mamelodi Sundowns in Orlando, Red Bull Salzburg versus Pachuca in Cincinnati, Boca Juniors versus Auckland City in Nashville, and Palmeiras versus Al Ahly in New Jersey.