Man Utd legend Gary Neville calls for winter World Cup every 20 years ahead of Qatar 2022

GARY NEVILLE believes the World Cup should be held in winter every 20 years. The Manchester United legend insists the Middle East deserves to regularly host football’s biggest tournament despite the controversies surrounding Qatar 2022. That would mean staging it around November due to scorching temperatures that can surpass 50C in June and July – […]

GARY NEVILLE believes the World Cup should be held in winter every 20 years.

The Manchester United legend insists the Middle East deserves to regularly host football’s biggest tournament despite the controversies surrounding Qatar 2022.

Sky Sports

Gary Neville believes the Middle East should regularly host the World Cup[/caption]

That would mean staging it around November due to scorching temperatures that can surpass 50C in June and July – the traditional dates for the showpiece.

Ex-England defender Neville, 47, said: “We have to have a winter World Cup every 20 years.

“If you say you don’t, you’re saying you don’t think the Middle East as a region should have a World Cup because you can’t play in the middle of June in the Middle East.

“Forget Qatar, that’s a regional issue.

“The World Cup will have to be shifted to our winter every 20 or 24 years if we’re going to be fair and give every region in the world access, which I think we all believe we should.

“America, Australasia, Asia, Africa, Europe – all should have access to the World Cup.”

Fifa’s decision to host the World Cup in Qatar has been widely criticised due to human rights issues in the country.

Treatment of migrant workers has caused outrage and the law around LGBTQ+ and women’s rights has sparked calls to boycott the tournament.

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Neville said: “I do believe the workers should live in far better accommodation and they should be paid more.

“They should be clearer on their position around LGBTQ+, however that is a religious factor not just in Qatar but in the whole region, that is an issue that exists in the whole region.

“And then you’ve got the approach to women’s rights as well – what happens in Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Qatar – so that they have more equality and rights to be able to do things, just as men do.”

Tickets for England’s group stage will go on sale through the FA at the start of next month and will cost between £51 and £161.