World football’s governing body Fifa is preparing to hold a crucial meeting on 3-4 October to discuss the timing of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

European football federations recently agreed it would be “impossible” to hold the tournament as originally planned in the summer heat, despite Qatar’s promises to build air-conditioned stadiums.

The association representing European clubs has also said it is open to talks on shifting the tournament from June-July and said it wants to be involved in negotiations. European clubs and leagues are concerned that staging the tournament in the winter would disrupt domestic soccer calendars.

Qatar plans to spend $70bn on infrastructure projects ahead of the tournament. Major schemes include the Doha Metro, a new network of expressways, and new stadiums.