Qatar organizers insist there's no prospect of the country being stripped of the 2022 World Cup, dismissing a warning by a FIFA executive committee member.

Theo Zwanziger was quoted in his native Germany as saying that he believed the World Cup will not be played in Qatar because of the heat.

But Nasser Al Khater, Qatar's executive director of communications, responded in a statement by saying: "The only question now is WHEN, not IF. Summer or winter, we will be ready."

Discussions about shifting the tournament dates from the searing summer heat are continuing as FIFA's ethics judge considers the findings of an investigation into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding contests.

Zwanziger is leaving the FIFA executive committee in May, so is unlikely to have much influence on the process.