World Cup in January? FIFA considers changing dates for the most important soccer tournament

The 2034 FIFA World Cup, set to be hosted by Saudi Arabia, could undergo a significant calendar change, potentially starting as early as January, according to reports. This shift would have major ramifications for the Premier League and other European football leagues.

Saudi Arabia is the sole bidder to host the 2034 World Cup and is expected to be officially awarded the rights at FIFA’s upcoming congress.

While the congress will also determine the 2030 World Cup hosts (a multi-nation bid involving Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay), the 2034 decision is considered a formality given the lack of competition.

The summer heat in Saudi Arabia makes a traditional summer tournament highly problematic. While the initial plan was for a summer tournament, a January start date is being considered to avoid a clash with Ramadan, which in 2034 falls between November 11th and December 10th. A summer tournament would present extreme heat challenges for players and spectators.

Potential calendar disruptions

A January start would necessitate a revised winter break and would potentially conflict with the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City (beginning February 10th). Pushing the tournament to later in the winter (March/April) would create immense disruption to the European football calendar, clashing with the Champions League final, FA Cup final, and critical late-season matches.

The extended 38-day tournament length (due to the expanded 48-team format) further complicates scheduling.

FIFA’s evaluation report acknowledged the need to balance climatic factors, religious observances (Ramadan and Hajj), and the global sporting calendar: “Temperatures in Saudi Arabia are at their mildest between October and April,” the report states, noting that May–September temperatures can exceed 40 degrees Celsius in Riyadh.

“Any decision regarding the timing of the competition would take these matters into consideration when seeking to provide optimal conditions for teams and spectators. Furthermore, it would be important to consider religious events in determining the timeline for the competition.”