2022 World Cup final to be played on Dec. 18

Circle your futuristic calendars.

After recently announcing that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will take place between the months of November and December, FIFA confirmed on Thursday that the final of the tournament will be staged on Dec. 18, a date that coincides with Qatar's National Day.

In February, FIFA's Task Force for the International Match Calendar 2018-24 had identified the end of November to the end of December as the most viable dates for the 2022 World Cup, due largely to the heat of Qatar as temperatures can exceed 50 degrees Celsius during the summer while dropping to roughly 25 degrees Celsius during the last two months of the calendar year.

"Dec. 18 is a good date for the final - perhaps Dec. 23 would be too late if you are trying to get all the fans back on Dec. 24," Platini told Press Association Sport, according to ESPN FC. "Dec. 18 is fine for UEFA - we can accommodate any changes to the Champions League.

"But FIFA must now protect the international dates for the national associations - there are four international matches that could be affected and those are the lifeblood for the national associations.

"FIFA must look at the international calendar and make sure those dates are protected for the national associations."

FIFA also announced Thursday that it was agreed in principle that the tournament should be played over a reduced timeframe of 28 days, four days less than last year's World Cup in Brazil. The reduction is likely aimed at catering to the fury of European clubs over the tournament taking place between November and December.