Floating stadium for the 2034 World Cup?

A stadium that seems to float above the desert, supporters taking an elevator to a height of 350 meters, all in a city yet to be built. Images of the so-called Sky Stadium surfaced last week and suggest that the 2034 World Cup will be anything but ordinary…

The videos show a gigantic arena atop a tower in the yet-to-be-built city of The Line in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Fans would ascend by elevator to a stadium 350 meters high, powered entirely by solar and wind energy. It looks like something straight out of a science fiction film. 

A striking detail: no one knew exactly where the images came from. Until it turned out they weren't from Saudi Arabia, but from a bedroom in England. The creator is Liam Hawes, a 34-year-old Brit with a vivid imagination. He concocted the whole idea on his phone just before bed. It took him a few minutes and less than half a euro. 

@dailymailsport An AI Saudi Arabia skyscraper stadium video has fooled 50 MILLION people. As 2025 has unfolded the line between artificial intelligence and reality has become increasingly blurred. Never has it been so difficult to discern what's real and fake on the internet. There has not been a better example of this than earlier this week when an incredible video of the world's first 'skyscraper stadium' in Saudi Arabia went viral on social media, gaining more than 50 million views – and coverage from news outlets across the globe. It showed a design of the Gulf state's Neom Sky Stadium, announced last year, which is expected to sit 1,000 feet above ground level, boast a capacity of 46,000 and play host to the 2034 World Cup in the Middle East. The venue is one of 15 set to feature at the tournament – ​​just four of which have already been built. The Saudis promised 'one of a kind' stadiums when they were controversially awarded football's most prestigious event back in December. So when fans were offered their first look at the groundbreaking pitch in the clouds, they were fascinated by what they saw. But the incredible video they were watching was not the elaborate work of Saudi Arabia, or the company funding the stadium, at all. No, it was made in just two minutes a couple of weeks earlier by 34-year-old Liam Hawes, from East Sussex, as he settled down for a good night's sleep in bed. He posted the video on his 'Hypora Ultraworks' Facebook page before it gained a huge amount of traction and went worldwide. Since Liam started the account earlier this month – on which he regularly posts conceptual clips of grand designs – it has gained almost 350 million views. Yet despite such levels of popularity, the Seaford resident hasn't made a penny because he can't monetize content from Facebook. #soccer #news #ai #saudiarabia #long ♬ original sound – Daily Mail Sport

Everything from the cupboard

Yet, there's some truth to the story. Saudi Arabia is actually working on a high-altitude stadium. The official World Cup bid book simply mentions the Sky Stadium. Not suspended in the air, but integrated into The Line structure, which itself will be approximately 500 meters above sea level. The pitch will ultimately be 350 meters high. 

Construction will begin in 2027, and if everything goes according to plan, the stadium will be completed in 2032. The design hasn't been released yet, so what it will actually look like remains a mystery for now. But it's clear that the country is pulling out all the stops to make it iconic. 

Saudi Arabia promises exceptional World Cup venues. In addition to the Sky Stadium, there will also be a stadium with a capacity of over 92.000 spectators, intended for the opening match and the final.
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Whether the stadium footage was real or not, one thing is certain: there's no shortage of ambition...