Next year’s World Cup is set to cause major disruption for domestic football
The Premier League has confirmed the dates for the 2022/23 season, giving football fans a first glimpse of the interruption the 2022 World Cup will cause to the domestic schedule.
The Qatar World Cup is set to begin on November 21 of next year, with the final being played on December 16. This means that for the first time ever, leagues throughout Europe will pause to allow players to attend the tournament.
The Premier League have now confirmed the new season will begin on August 6, with the final round of fixtures before the World Cup being played across the weekend of November 12 and 13. Players selected for the tournament will meet up with their respective national team squads on November 14.
The season will resume on Boxing Day – a mere ten days after the final in Doha – running through to May 28, 2023.
Qatar was awarded the 2022 World Cup in 2010. It had originally planned to hold the tournament between seasons, as is usually the case. Despite attempting to reassure football fans of the air cooling technology that would be available inside its stadiums, concerns over Qatar’s soaring summer temperatures saw FIFA take the drastic decision to move the tournament to what is the middle of the season for most European football federations.
Despite the late finish to the domestic season, there is still set to be a standalone weekend designated for the FA Cup final. There will also be a short break between the end of the season and the next round of international fixtures, scheduled for the summer of 2023.
Related links:
- Amnesty International urge David Beckham to use Qatar ambassador role for good
- Finland captain Tim Sparv calls on fellow pros to protest for Qatari reform ahead of World Cup
- Norway decides against boycott of Qatar 2022 World Cup
