Last month, FIFA's Executive Committee announced a recommendation for the global showpiece to be held in the months of November and December.
That decision was taken in a bid to avoid the soaring temperatures in Qatar in the traditional months of June and July, which can often climb above 40 degrees centigrade.
Thursday's announcement, confirmed by Walter De Gregorio, FIFA director of communications is final confirmation that the tournament will be held in the last two months of the year.
Those dates will cause havoc among many domestic leagues, with European heavyweights such as the Premier League and La Liga already voicing strong opposition to such a suggestion.
The date for the final is a national holiday in Qatar, while it has been agreed in principle by FIFA's ExCo that the finals will be played over a shorter timespan - possibly 28 days.
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