Qatar has expressed interest in hosting the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup, which would be the second edition of the expanded tournament that will debut this summer in the United States. However, due to extreme summer temperatures in the Gulf country, the event would again have to be held in December, as was the case with the 2022 World Cup.

Qatar has already begun talks with FIFA

According to information published by The Guardian, representatives of Qatar held meetings in the United States with senior FIFA officials to formally explore the possibility of hosting the tournament in four years. The proposal includes organizing the tournament in winter, specifically in December 2029, which has already generated tension with European leagues, which reject the interruption of their national calendars.

During the 2022 World Cup, FIFA also moved the tournament to winter to avoid the extreme temperatures of the Qatari summer, which caused a break of more than a month in the world's major leagues.

Qatar presents its strong card: sustainability and logistics

The Qatari organizing committee has defended its bid by arguing that they can organize a carbon-neutral Club World Cup. In addition, they stress that the stadiums built for 2022 are already ready and operational, which would drastically reduce organizational costs and travel for both teams and fans.

In contrast to the current format, which in the United States involves travel between 11 cities, Qatar proposes a compact tournament with minimal travel and proven infrastructure.

Weather in the U.S. leaves doubts and complaints

During the 2025 edition of the tournament in the United States, several matches have been interrupted due to weather conditions. The match between Chelsea and Benfica was suspended for two hours due to the risk of lightning near Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. It was the sixth match of the tournament to be affected by thunderstorms, which has led to numerous complaints from players and coaches.

In light of this situation, the global players' union FIFPro has already announced that it will address the issue of player welfare at a press conference scheduled for Monday.

Towards a “winter” trend in major tournaments?

The climatic context has opened up a wider debate on the appropriateness of holding major international tournaments during the summer. Even the 2034 FIFA World Cup, to be held in Saudi Arabia, is also expected to move to winter due to similar reasons.

With this, Qatar proposal does not seem so far-fetched. It is now up to FIFA to decide whether to prioritize climate comfort, logistics and sustainability... or to give in to pressure from the major European leagues.