🤔 Alternative dates? Infantino hints at changing World Cup calendar | OneFootball

The FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, stated this Thursday (9), in Rome, that football needs to "keep an open mind" for possible changes in the World Cup schedule.

According to him, the entity is considering holding the tournament in months like March or October, with the aim of avoiding extreme weather conditions in different parts of the planet.

The statement reignites the debate about the global football calendar. The World Cup of 2022, in Qatar, had already been held outside the traditional months of June and July, being played between November and December, precisely to escape the intense heat of the Middle East.

Infantino reinforced that the discussions continue.

"Perhaps there are ways to optimize the calendar. We are debating. We need to keep an open mind," he said.

The speech comes amid growing concerns about the effects of climate change on sport.

A recent report warned that, if no action is taken, the World Cup of 2026, which will be held in Canada, the United States, and Mexico, could be the last in its current format.

In addition, the 2034 World Cup, confirmed for Saudi Arabia, reignited criticisms about the environmental impact and the conditions of holding in countries with extreme climates.

During the 2025 Club World Cup, six of the 56 games already had delays due to severe weather alerts in the United States, including the match between Benfica and Chelsea, which was interrupted for almost two hours.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

📸 ANGELA WEISS - AFP or licensors