World Cup could undergo big future shift, hints FIFA president Gianni Infantino

The World Cup is, along with the Olympic Games, the most important sporting event on the planet. Millions of fans from every continent turn their eyes to the tournament every four years — and they’ll undoubtedly do so again in 2026, when it takes place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. However, FIFA president Gianni Infantino addressed potential changes for the future.

Specifically, Infantino pointed to a possible change in the time of year the World Cup is traditionally played. “We have summer and winter and in the world if you want to play at the same time everywhere you can play in March or in October,” he began explaining, according to the BBC.

“In December you cannot play in one part of the world and in July you cannot play in another part,” the FIFA president added. “We need to consider all these elements and let’s see how we can make it better for everyone. Maybe there are ways we can optimise the calendar. We are discussing. We have to have an open mind.”

These ideas are mainly driven by the extreme temperatures in some host nations during major international tournaments. A recent example was this year’s Club World Cup, held in the United States, which coincided with a massive heatwave.

That triggered strong criticism from players’ unions, who deemed the conditions unsafe, especially given an increasingly demanding calendar. Some also argued it impacted the teams’ performances and hurt the overall quality of the tournament.

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If Infantino’s proposal moves forward, it wouldn’t be the first time the World Cup’s traditional dates have shifted. From the tournament’s first edition in Uruguay 1930 until Russia 2018, every World Cup was held — without exception — between June and July. That changed in Qatar 2022, when the tournament was moved to November–December due to Doha’s extreme summer heat.