What are the effects of the World Cup being held in ‘winter’ on players, quality of play?
Andrew Price (coach and marketing specialist)
I was always of the opinion [that] no matter when the World Cup is kept, teams are always going to be prepared; this is just an anamoly for Qatar because overwhelming effects of the heat factor. After this tournament things will go back to normal with regular summer editions. The play has been up to its normal tournament standards. Business as usual.
Damion Lowe (Inter Miami, 49 caps for Jamaica)
In my experience in playing in the middle eastern region, it was the right move to play in the winter because the summer months are brutal on that side of the world. What people may not know is that the winter season is also brutal, as it gets very cold there in the winter. The change of climate is not ideal.
Tanya Lee Perkins (athlete manager & head of LEEP Marketing)
I think playing the World Cup in the middle of the regular season has had a negative effect on the recovery time for players. Going straight from the respective leagues to Qatar means we might see more muscular injuries at this World Cup. With big names like Benzema, Pogba and Mane out even before kick-off, it has not been ideal.
