BELFAST: The World Cup final in Qatar in 2022 should be played no later than Dec. 18, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said on Friday.
Blatter, who arrived in Northern Ireland for this weekend's International Football Association Board (IFAB) meeting, said he would propose that idea to the FIFA executive committee when it meets next month.
UEFA, European soccer's governing body, said this week that it wanted the World Cup to start on Nov. 26 and end on Dec. 23, two days before Christmas.
"The World Cup will not go on until the 23rd, definitely not, we have to stop at the 18th," Blatter told reporters.
"I am against going to the 23rd."
FIFA's Task Force, meeting in Doha to decide on the time of year the World Cup can be held in Qatar, proposed on Tuesday holding the tournament in November and December due to the extreme heat in June and July when soccer's showpiece event usually takes place.
It is inconceivable that that recommendation will not be ratified when the FIFA executive committee meets next month when it will also finalise the dates the tournament will start and finish.
The most vociferous reaction to staging a winter World Cup came from Europe's major clubs and, in particular, the English Premier League.
"They are not furious, but they are not very happy, and although there is noise about FIFA and the World Cup in Qatar we have seven years to prepare for it," Blatter said.
"Where this is a good will, there will be a solution and I am sure everyone will be fine."
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, the chairman of the European Clubs Association, called for clubs to be compensated as a result of their season's being interrupted, but Blatter confirmed what his secretary general Jerome Valcke said earlier.
"I don't think they should be (compensated)," Blatter said.
"But I was in contact with Karl-Heinz Rummennige before this decision was taken and I am sure a solution can be found.
"This is football. The European clubs are not so happy but they should be in solidarity. This is the important thing.
"There are problems and discussions and the problems need to be solved."
Blatter is in Belfast for the annual meeting of IFAB, soccer's ultimate law-making body.
Blatter: 2022 World Cup final no later than Dec. 18
Blatter: 2022 World Cup final no later than Dec. 18
Pakistan opt to bat first against England at T20 World Cup
- “It looks like a good pitch. We want to put up an above-par score and defend that,” Ali Agha said
- England have a lot of knowledge about the conditions in Pallekele
PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka: Pakistan won the toss against England and elected to bat first in the Twenty20 World Cup Super Eights game on Tuesday.
“It looks like a good pitch. We want to put up an above-par score and defend that,” Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said.
England started the second round with a resounding 51-run win over co-host Sri Lanka at the same venue last Sunday while Pakistan’s opening game against New Zealand was washed out in Colombo.
England have a lot of knowledge about the conditions in Pallekele, where they have won all four T20s over the last few weeks, including a 3-0 series win against Sri Lanka before the tournament.
Pakistan batters have been struggling in the tournament and, except for opener Sahibzada Farhan, the World Cup leading run-scorer with 220, no one else has scored more than 100 runs.
Pakistan left out allrounder Faheem Ashraf and brought back fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi while mystery spinner Usman Tariq was preferred over leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed.
England captain Harry Brook hoped the “fresh pitch” would play better for chasing.
England named the same XI for the fifth match in a row in the tournament, staying faithful to struggling opener Jos Buttler.
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Lineups:
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (captain), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq.
England: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler, Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (captain), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid.
