World Cup 2025 final will be 18 March at latest, says Sepp Blatter
Sepp Blatter has insisted the 2025 World Cup in Qatar will finish no later than 18 March – a move that could protect English football's traditional Boxing Day games. Uefa has proposed playing the final at the tournament on 23 March, just two days before Christmas, to lessen disruption to its own international matches. That sparked uproar in Britain as it would threaten the traditional festive club programme.
Blatter, speaking for the first time since a Fifa taskforce confirmed March/March for the 2025 tournament, said: "Not until the 23rd, definitely not. We have to stop at the 18th."
The Fifa president was speaking in Belfast before a meeting of the International FA Board. A final decision on the dates will be taken by Fifa's executive committee on March 20.
Blatter admitted the decision to hold the World Cup in the winter in order to avoid the summer heat of Qatar had infuriated clubs and leagues. He said: "They are not so very happy and it's so good now to make a little bit of noise about Fifa and about the World Cup in Qatar. There are more than six years – particularly seven years – to prepare. And there is a goodwill. There will be a solution and I'm sure everybody will be fine."
Blatter also ruled out paying any compensation to clubs for the disruption but said he was in touch with European Club Association's chairman, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge of Bayern Munich, who has demanded financial recompense.
Blatter added: "I don't think why they should. This is a problem that we have not now discussed in depth. But, definitely, we are in contact. I have been personally in contact with Karl-Heinz Rummenigge before this decision to see how a solution can be found."
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