Why is the 2022 World Cup being played in the winter?
World Cups had always been played in the Northern Hemisphere’s summer months, but that changed in 2022. The original plan was for that edition to be played during the summer as well. But even with air-conditioned stadiums, Qatar’s summer daily high temperatures of 108 degrees caused the plan to be scrapped. The event was moved to the winter when highs are around 80 instead.