A NEW DATE WILL BE SET FOR THE NEXT CLUB WORLD CUP, AND THE COUNTRY WILL HOST IT AS WELL.

So, Qatar is thinking about putting in a bid to host the 2029 Club World Cup. If everything goes well, we could see this tournament happening in the winter months. Pretty interesting, right?
During the summer tournament in the U.S., Qatari officials had some talks with FIFA. They’re keen on bringing another big event to the Middle East, as reported by The Guardian.
Now, they’re pitching a carbon-neutral version of the 2029 Club World Cup. This is a big deal, especially when you look at how the current tournament in the U.S. involves a ton of air travel between a whopping 11 cities.
All nine of the stadiums built for the 2022 World Cup are still standing, and six of them are currently being used for matches in the Qatar Stars League. Pretty handy, huh? It’s said these venues could easily be used for the Club World Cup, which would definitely cut down on infrastructure costs and make travel easier for teams and fans.
But here’s the catch: Qatar’s super hot summer temperatures could really throw a wrench in the works. Any bid would almost definitely need the tournament to be held in winter, just like the 2022 World Cup was — which, let's be real, stirred up some controversy when it was moved from its usual summer spot to November and December.
Despite the fuss, that tournament actually went off without a hitch and got a lot of praise for its organization and compact setup.
Now, this push for a winter Club World Cup is coming at a time when the U.S. is facing some wild weather, with Chelsea’s last-16 win over Benfica being delayed just minutes from the end. Imagine that!
Chelsea’s coach, Enzo Maresca, was pretty upset when, in the 86th minute, they had to stop play for nearly two hours because of nearby lightning. Talk about frustrating! The players were just sitting around in the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, waiting for updates that didn’t come.
Maresca said, "For 85 minutes, we were in control of the game. We didn’t concede anything. We created enough chances to win the game. And then after the break, everything changed."
He wasn’t holding back, either. "For me, it’s not football. It’s already seven, eight, nine games that they’ve suspended. I think it’s a joke, to be honest. It’s not football. It’s not for us. You can’t be inside. If you’re suspending that many games, maybe it’s not the right place for this competition."
And it’s not just Chelsea facing issues. Other games that had to be paused due to storms included Benfica against Auckland City in Orlando, Ulsan versus Mamelodi Sundowns, Red Bull Salzburg against Pachuca in Cincinnati, Boca Juniors against Auckland City in Nashville, and Palmeiras versus Al Ahly in New Jersey. Quite a summer for soccer, huh?