FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce has confirmed European
countries have given their overall backing to moving the 2022 World Cup in
Qatar to the winter.
Boyce revealed the 54 UEFA associations, who have been
meeting in Croatia, want FIFA to consult much further with the game's major
stakeholders before making their decision about an exact date for the
controversial tournament.
The world governing body meets in Zurich early next month
when a decision is expected to be made in principle to moving the competition
away from the summer months, when the heat in Qatar can reach more than 50
degrees centigrade.
"There were certain reservations regarding the World
Cup in Qatar but everyone agreed that it would be impossible to play in the
severe heat of Qatar in the summer," Boyce said.
