How hot will it be in Qatar and how will England cope with the heat?

For the first time the World Cup is being held in a middle eastern country – and to avoid the sweltering heat of the Qatari summer months, the tournament is being held in winter. 

A winter FIFA World Cup is a first – but despite it being winter, expect is still to be warm in Qatar. 

So what will the temperature be in Qatar 2022 – and how will teams beat the heat? 

What temperature will it be in Qatar duing the 2022 World Cup? 

The Qatar World Cup kickoff on Sunday, November 20 – where the host nation will play Ecuador. According to WeatherAndClimate.com the maximum temperature in November in the capital Doha is 30C and the minimum is 20C. 

The opening match will be around 26C, despite the 7 pm kickoff in Al Khor. 

Players can expect humidity to be between 60% and 70% during November and December, which is higher than the average for the rest of the year in Qatar. 

World Cups are usually played in the summer months of June and July, however, in those months in Qatar temperatures average 37C which has been deemed too hot for football matches to take place. 

How will teams beat the heat in Qatar?

The Qataris have pulled out all the stops to make the experience for the players a positive one. To combat the heat and humidity in Qatar, state-of-the-art conditioning units have been built into stadiums at pitch level to ensure a cool flow of air around players as they compete. 

Drink breaks – a quick stoppage midway through each half – could also be introduced to help players deal with the weather conditions. 

The World Cup will also allow managers to make five substitutions during matches, meaning some players won’t be overworked. 

For England, boss Gareth Southgate has scheduled training sessions for the morning to avoid the peak heat in the afternoon. 

But England’s first match – against Iran, will take place at 4 pm local time which could prove tricky.

However, England’s other two group stage matches – against USA and Wales take place at 10 pm local time, well after sunset.