FIFA announce 2022 Qatar World Cup to start on November 21

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar will begin on November 21 and finish on December 18, Fifa has confirmed.

The tournament, which has been moved to winter for the first time ever due to Qatar's excessive summer heat, will last for 28 days, four fewer than usual.

The final will take place just a week before Christmas on Qatar National Day.

It remains to be seen how the re-scheduling of the World Cup will affect domestic competitions in Europe, with some people predicting that three seasons will be disrupted as a result of the tournament taking place in the winter months.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter was due to hold a press conference on Friday, but the event was cancelled at short notice. 

Blatter was due to address the media for the first time since Fifa secretary general Jerome Valcke was suspended following accusations regarding ticket sales at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.