FIFA vice president Jim Boyce has told talkSPORT that the blistering Qatari heat will make it impossible to stage the 2022 World Cup in the traditional summer months – as it would ruin the spectator experience.

The Arab state was awarded with hosting the tournament by FIFA in 2010, but the decision has since drawn a great deal on controversy regarding the 50 degree temperatures expected to hit the Middle East at the time of the competition.

Tournament organizers have responded to criticism by announcing they are planning to build a host of new, fully air conditioned venues.

But Boyce (pictured above with FIFA president Sepp Blatter) insisted that while this may address the issue for the competing athletes, hundreds of thousands of football fans from across the world will find attending the World Cup impractical.

The FIFA vice president told Kick Off: “I know the Qatari’s have said they’re quite prepared to air condition the stadiums, but how can you air condition a country?

“The World Cup, to me, is the world’s greatest sporting event, and one of the major sporting events in the calendar.

“Thousands of people want to go and want to enjoy the World Cup as a spectator, but I don’t know how you can ask people to go and enjoy themselves in the temperatures they’re expecting in Qatar.

“The feeling at the moment is that the World Cup will be switched to the winter, but I know that the Premier League, among others leagues, have great concerns with that.

“If we’re going to have a World Cup in Qatar it has to be played in decent temperatures, and in the winter it will be very pleasant, not only for the players but also for all the people that want to go there.

“Don’t also forget that players have to train and they will have to go out during the day, so it’s in the interest of everyone there.

“Whether the right or the wrong decision was made [awarding the World Cup to Qatar]…hindsight is wonderful thing.

“But the most important thing is that the right decision is made now for the good of football, to ensure the World Cup is played in the proper conditions.”