A viral video circulating across social media has sparked global excitement and confusion after appearing to show a futuristic soccer stadium perched atop a narrow skyscraper i.e Skyscraper Stadium, allegedly one of the venues for the 2034 FIFA World Cup in Saudi Arabia.
However, while the video is pure science fiction, the real plan behind Saudi Arabia’s NEOM Stadium is almost just as astonishing.
Below is a detailed news report with subheadings, full context, and clarifications.
Clarifying the Viral Video of “Skyscraper Stadium”
A short, computer-generated clip has been making the rounds online, claiming to reveal a $1 billion, 46,000-capacity football stadium that would sit on top of a purpose-built tower in Saudi Arabia’s NEOM mega-city.
The design, which resembles a glowing “Eye of Sauron”, shows the stadium balanced more than 350 metres (1,150 feet) above ground.
The clip triggered excitement and skepticism in equal measure as users questioned the feasibility of such a structure:
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“How secure can a stadium on a skyscraper be?”
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“What happens to the queue for elevators after the match?”
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“Why does it look like something from a sci-fi villain’s lair?”
But the truth is simple: the video is not real. No such skyscraper stadium exists, nor is it part of the official 2034 World Cup plan.
What’s Real? Saudi Arabia Is Building a 350-Metre-High Stadium
Although the viral clip is fabricated, the actual NEOM Stadium planned for the 2034 FIFA World Cup is still extraordinary.
According to documents submitted to FIFA in Saudi Arabia’s bid book in November 2024, the NEOM Stadium is listed as one of the 15 official host venues. It is expected to be:
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46,000 seater
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Built between 2027 and 2032
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Perched around 350 metres above ground
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Integrated into The Line, NEOM’s flagship 100-mile-long vertical city
FIFA’s bid book describes it as:
“the most unique stadium in the world.”
Not a Skyscraper but a Stadium Built Inside The Line
Unlike the viral video, the real NEOM Stadium will not sit atop a single tower. Instead, it will be embedded into levels four and five of The Line’s massive multi-tier structure, surrounded by:
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a futuristic man-made marina
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residential districts
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hotels and apartments
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a World Cup fan festival zone
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medical and emergency facilities
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a fully electric public transport system
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a dedicated airport
This is because, it is enclosed within The Line’s structure, which functions like a horizontal mega-skyscraper, the stadium will not be suspended precariously above the ground, as the viral video suggests.
A World Cup Venue Unlike Anything Ever Built
The NEOM Stadium will form the centre-piece of a sports-focused district planned to be completed well before the 2034 World Cup kicks off.
Saudi authorities, including NEOM, the Ministry of Sport and the Public Investment Fund (PIF), have pitched the venue as a landmark project symbolising:
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futuristic sustainable engineering
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Saudi Arabia’s massive urban development ambitions
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its bid to host one of the most technologically advanced World Cups in history
The broader NEOM project aims to create a fully renewable-energy-powered megacity stretching over 100 miles, with a population of nine million by 2045.
The Viral Video Makes the Real Project Look Almost Ordinary
While the fake clip exaggerated the concept into pure fantasy, it inadvertently brought attention to the real high-altitude stadium, which itself pushes the boundaries of modern architecture.
However, the main question to be asked is;
What happens if a ball is kicked over the top tier and falls 350 metres at terminal velocity?
It may be wise for future NEOM pedestrians to keep their eyes on the sky.
(Credit: ESPN)
