Jim Boyce opposes December World Cup final date

By Steven Toplis, Reporter | 24 February 2015

FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce states that he will oppose any move to hold the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar as late as December 23.

FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce has said that he will oppose any move to hold the 2022 World Cup final as late as December 23.

The FIFA task force has officially recommended that the tournament in Qatar should be played in November and December to avoid the high temperatures in the summer.

Northern Irishman Boyce believes that while moving the World Cup to the winter is a common sense decision, a final on December 23, which is reportedly one of the options, would be too close to Christmas and the traditional festive matches.

"I think that is too close to Christmas - that's the only reservation I would have and I would like it a week earlier, but I want to wait until the FIFA executive committee meeting to hear all the details about the dates," he told Sporting Life.com.

"I welcome the fact all the stakeholders have been involved and although this is not going to please everyone I think common sense has prevailed.

"It will cause a lot of disruption but it is eight years away and people should have enough time to make it work."

FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke has said that holding the tournament in winter is the only option.