The 2022 World Cup final will be played on Dec. 18, FIFA announced on Thursday.
After much speculation regarding the timing of the tournament, controversially awarded to Qatar, the announcement confirmed a winter-months tournament. Last month, FIFA’s executive committee recommended the tournament be held in November and December to protect players and fans from the nation's searing heat rather than the traditional months of June and July.
A start date, however, has not been confirmed. FIFA spokesman Walter De Gregorio said that announcement could come Friday.
"It is a major step because finally we know and we can move forward," De Gregorio said in a statement.
At the same time, the world's governing body announced that the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup (and 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup) will be held in France. South Korea had been the other finalist vying to host those tournaments.
