The Qatar 2022 World Cup final should be played no later than 18 December, says Fifa president Sepp Blatter.
A Fifa taskforce has recommended a November/December tournament and held discussions about a 23 December final, which would affect domestic schedules.
Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore wants to "protect" English football's festive fixture list.
"We have to stop at the 18th," said Blatter. "The World Cup will not go on until the 23rd, definitely not."
The 78-year-old, who is in Northern Ireland for this weekend's International Football Association Board (IFAB) meeting, said he would propose that idea to the Fifa executive committee, with a final decision expected on 20 March.
Europe's governing body Uefa said this week that it wanted the World Cup to start on 26 November and end on 23 December.
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