So after the abortive winter World Cup idea, now the game of three thirds as Fifa seeks to square the circle of holding the tournament in a desert. Michael Beaven of the engineering firm Arup Associates claimed on Tuesday that 2022 World Cup matches may be played in three 30-minute periods. He was saying it is necessary to prevent player injuries if temperatures top 32C.

Although Fifa denied it had discussed the matter, it is strongly possible talks will take place over the next 11 years since the three-thirds idea would generate many more millions for broadcasters in ad revenue. And what is good for broadcasters is good for Fifa.

US broadcasters earned $213m from 48 minutes of ad breaks during the Super Bowl, which has four quarters. Two "half-times" in a three-period World Cup match would create a lot of potential space for the adverts, thus raising broadcast-rights values. One senior television executive, who is far from enamoured at the idea, said: "I can't think of any other rationale for it than a commercial motive."

But if Fifa is going to introduce it, it must change the laws of the game after almost 150 years, which would have a further-reaching effect than just the World Cup. There is the facility for the Qatar 2022 organisers to change the format of games during their competition under football's Law 7. "The match lasts two equal periods of 45 minutes unless mutually agreed between the referee and the two teams," it says. "Any agreement to alter the duration of play must be made before the start of play and must comply with competition rules."

Regrettably for Fifa, Qatar 2022 seems to have been stung by the furore and on Thursday it issued a categorical denial of Beaven's claims. "Statements on this subject made by Mr Beaven from Arup are without any foundation," it said in a statement. But then holding the World Cup in a desert was never going to be easy.

daneq wrote:They never deserved it. Plain and simple.

Yuri Yukuv wrote:I would like football to be played in three thirds, 30 minutes each. Not just for the WC but for all games.

sportsczy wrote:Nothing to do with deserve... they lined FIFA voters' pockets the most. Plain and simple.

OLpower wrote:So far the Qatar choice has been a disaster.

OLpower wrote:First it has been publically said by FIFA officials that Qatar bought the World cup. And now they are trying to find a way to ruin the event to avoid the heat of the summer.

OLpower wrote:Moving it to winter, splitting it in 3 half times in total violation of the rule of the game.

OLpower wrote:It's in 11 years. That's a big amount of time to give the organization to a real football country.

7amood11 wrote:

Innocent until proven guilty.

teamanarchy wrote:Why was Qatar awarded the WC again?

hrealmadrid wrote:Following recent media reports, FIFA would like to clarify the following: there has never been any discussion at FIFA regarding the possibility of introducing three periods of 30 minutes for matches at the FIFA World Cup™, or at any other competition.

Football matches are played over two periods of 45 minutes. Any modification of this rule would have to be discussed by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), and it has never been a topic of discussion.