Qatar open to hosting World Cup in winter DOHA, Qatar, Sept. 27 (UPI) -- Qatari officials said they would be willing to move the 2022 World Cup to winter if there is a demand to move it to avoid the desert country's summer heat. FIFA officials awarded the 2022 World Cup to Qatar in December 2010. The country at that time promised air-conditioned stadiums for the 32-team tournament. The average high temperature in Doha, Qatar, is 106 degrees in June and July. "Our position hasn't changed," a Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee spokesman told CNN. We've always reiterated that we entered the bidding race with the intention of hosting in the summer and are continuing with our plans to deliver a World Cup in the summer unless there is a unified consensus among the international (soccer) community for alternative plans. UEFA President Michel Platini is among those who say the World Cup in Qatar would be better if moved to winter. "It is for the good of the World Cup, the most important competition in the world," Platini to the London Evening Standard newspaper. The World Cup is traditionally played in June and July. The 2014 tournament in Brazil is set for June 12-July 13 and the 2018 tournament, awarded to Russia, is penciled in for June 8-July 8. A shift to a winter World Cup, however, would cause several major soccer leagues to alter their schedules, too.