Premier League confirms new 2022/23 schedule to accommodate FIFA World Cup mid-season

The Premier League has confirmed changes to its scheduling to accommodate the mid-season 2022 FIFA World Cup which will take place in the winter in Qatar.

Due to extremely high temperatures in summer in Qatar, the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be the first to be played over the winter. The tournament is scheduled to take place from the 21st of November to 18th of December 2022. As a result, all domestic leagues including the Premier League in England have to reschedule their season to accommodate the FIFA World Cup.

As per the new Premier League scheduling, the 2022-23 season will start on the 6th of August 2022. Following Game Week 16, players from each Premier League side will be allowed to join their respective national teams for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The Game Week will take place over the weekend of 12-13th November 2022.

The Premier League will resume on Boxing Day, 26th of December 2022, just eight days after the FIFA World Cup Final, which will take place on the 18th.

The final round of Premier League fixtures will take place on the 28th of May 2023 with all games kicking off simultaneously.

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Premier League opposes the idea of a biennial FIFA World Cup

The Premier League has unanimously opposed the notion of having a FIFA World Cup once every two years. According to the Premier League's official statement, all 20 teams have reached an agreement on the same.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has stated that the new proposal of having a World Cup every two years will adversely affect the traditions of domestic football. Masters is in favor of new reforms but not by disrupting the balance of domestic and international football.

"The Premier League is committed to preventing any radical changes to the post-2024 FIFA International Match Calendar that would adversely affect player welfare and threaten the competitiveness, calendar, structures and traditions of domestic football," Richard Masters said. "We are open to reforms and new ideas, but they must enhance the complementary balance between domestic and international football in order to improve the game at all levels.

"This process should also involve meaningful agreements with the leagues that provide the foundations for the game," he added. "We will continue to work with supporter groups, players, domestic and international stakeholders to find solutions that are in the best interests of football’s long-term future."

The FIFA World Cup has always taken place once every four years since its inception in 1930. The only time the World Cup did not take place was between 1938 and 1950 due to the Second World War.