The Qataris are determined that the hot weather conditions there will not wreck their campaign to stage the World Cup in the same way that it led to their bid to host the 2016 Olympics collapsing last year.

 

 

The average high temperature in June and July, when the World Cup is due to be held, is 106.2° F with the low being 81.9° F.

 

Hassan Abdullah Al Thawadi, the chief executive of Qatar 2022, is now overseeing plans to build a series of indoor stadiums to host matches.

 

He said: "We already have air-conditioned stadia which have been used and have proven their success.

 

"Currently, we are researching various cooling methods which are environmentally friendly and very effective in cooling.

 

"We'll be unveiling a number of visionary, state-of-the-art ideas for iconic stadia and infrastructure and we're very excited by the challenge of ensuring that your passion for football is the only thing that will make you hot."

 

The Aspire Academy (pictured), opened in Qatar's capital Doha in 2005, is already one of the world's leading indoor sports arena and has staged a variety of events normally played outside, including cricket.

 

If Qatar's plan is successful they would not be the first country to host a World Cup match indoors.

 

At the 1994 tournament in the United States the Pontiac Silverdome in Detroit hosted four first round matches, including a match involving eventual champions Brazil.

 

Doha's bid to host the 2016 Olympics ended controversially last year when the International Olympic Committee refused their request to hold the Games in October and cut them for its short-list.

 

But that has not detered the oil and gas rich Gulf state from launching a bid for the World Cup.

 

Al Thawadi said: "We strongly believe that it is time for the world's favorite game to come to the Middle East.

 

"It's time - and we are ready to make history.

 

"A World Cup in Qatar will be the first global sporting event to be hosted by the Middle East, bringing greater unity and understanding between peoples from every continent, and perfectly reflecting the FIFA slogan 'For the Game; for the World'."

 

The 2022 World Cup is due to be awarded at the same time as the 2018 event by world governing FIFA at a meeting in December 2010.

 

The 2018 event is expected to be awarded to Europe.

 

England are the favourites but face strong competition from Russia and joint bids from Holland and Belgium and Spain and Portugal.

 

The losing candidates will then enter the race to host 2022 alongside Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, South Korea and the US.