Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has argued that the Qatar World Cup has shown the tournament can take place in the winter, and argued that hosting more tournaments out of the traditional summer slot will be vital if FIFA are to 'democratise football.'
There was initially uproar over the decision to host this year's World Cup in the winter due to the chaos it has caused in the domestic schedule, but Wenger felt the move has meant players have been more 'mentally fresh' than they would in the summer.
However, there have been some concerns about how the mid-season break will affect club football when it returns with some Premier League teams now taking warm-weather breaks to ensure players are ready for the first games back after Christmas.