Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has described the controversy surrounding the 2022 Qatar World Cup as a "farce".

There have been calls for the elite tournament to be moved into the winter months with the health of footballers in mind due to the scorching summer conditions in Qatar.

FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce has revealed that the UEFA nations are keen to switch the tournament to winter, but Ferdinand questions why Qatar won the bid in the first place.

Ferdinand wrote on Twitter: "This World Cup comedy show is a farce. Why give it to Qatar if the weather was an issue? When has it not been hot in the desert in June?!"

A change of schedule, which could be moved to November or December, is likely to disrupt the domestic seasons.