Football's first SKYSCRAPER stadium? Design for Saudi Arabia's 46,000-seat World Cup venue, 1,000ft up in the air, emerges - but major questions remain

Football fans have been left stunned by a video circulating on social media that appears to show plans for the world's first ever 'sky stadium' set to open in time for the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia. 

The footage - which could be merely an AI hoax - shows the Gulf state's Neom Sky Stadium, expected to sit more than 1,000 feet above ground level in a city which is yet to be built called The Line. 

The venue towers hundreds of feet above all surrounding buildings in the dubious concept video. According to reports from various publications, it will only be accessible via high-speed lifts. 

However such information and indeed the video itself has left football fans sceptical whether the stadium, which the Saudis say will boast 46,000 seats, could realistically host any sort of major event.

They've questioned how exactly tens of thousands of fans could all gain access via lifts, the safety issues surrounding a venue situated 1,000 feet in the sky and, incredibly, what would happen if a ball flew out of the stadium. 

One posted on X: 'Thousands going up elevators and then down after the game? Nah, I'm good.'

'This is truly a thing of beauty and elegance to imagine, however this project should never be allowed to happen,' another quipped.

'The potential risks in this sky stadium's security, health and safety challenges are deeply interconnected.'

One added: 'Imagine being on the street below and all of a sudden out of nowhere you're attacked by a rogue football from the sky.' 

A final fan simply wrote: 'This seems cool yet totally unnecessary and pretentious. Just because something can exist doesn't mean it should.'

While the video doing the rounds on social media this week may indeed be fake, it has been confirmed that the sky stadium is a project which the Saudis are working on. 

Images posted to Neom's official Facebook page last year show an original concept of the ground, which looks a far cry from the video that emerged on Tuesday. 

The stadium does nevertheless appear in a similarly futuristic style in the older pictures, while perhaps not so elevated into the clouds. 

Works on the Neom Sky Stadium are expected to begin in 2027 and be completed in 2032, two years before the tournament begins. 

The ground is part of a Saudi Arabian project called 'The Line', a smart city in the region of Neom which is expected to be car-free and only as long as the Empire State Building is high. 

When the Middle-Eastern nation were controversially awarded the tournament at a FIFA Congress late last year, they promised 'one of a kind' venues. But just four of the 15 stadiums set to host games at the prestigious event had actually been built. 

Eight of the tournament's grounds will be in the country's capital, Riyadh. One of those includes the 92,760 capacity King Salman International Stadium where the opening game and final will be played. 

Other venues include the Qiddiya Coast Stadium and the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium, which will be located on a rooftop. 

The nation will be the second in the Middle East to host a World Cup in just a decade after the tournament went to Qatar three years ago. 

That event was the first to ever take place in the winter, a decision made due to the incredibly warm conditions in that part of the world. 

And it was revealed earlier this month that the Saudi World Cup could too be held between the months of November and December, when temperatures are considerably lower than those of the summer months. 

Speaking in early October, FIFA President Gianni Infantino claimed football fans need to have an 'open mind' about when the sport's most highly anticipated event takes place. 

'It's not just about one World Cup, it's a general reflection, even to play in some European countries in July is very, very hot, so maybe we have to think,' he said. 

'Actually, the best month to play football, which is June, is not used very much in Europe.

'Maybe there are ways we can optimise the calendar, but we are discussing it and we will see when we come to some conclusions. We just have to have an open mind.

'It is a fact that in the world, if you want to play at the same time everywhere, you can play in March or in October, most likely. Because in December you cannot play in one part of the world and in July you cannot play in another part of the world.

'We need to consider all these elements when we speak about national team competitions, national team release, about club competitions, and see how we can make it better for the benefit of everyone.'

The international match calendar is currently fixed until 2030, with the next two editions of the men's World Cup taking place in the northern hemisphere summer.  

The United States, Canada and Mexico are hosting next year's event in June and July.

Kick off times are expected to be 5pm BST, 8pm, 11pm and 2am, mirroring this summer's FIFA Club World Cup.

That tournament was beset by heat issues, so the marquee matches at the World Cup are set to be in the later slots to aid player welfare.

Speaking about what the World Cup could learn from the Club World Cup, FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani admitted it was 'kick-off times'.

Elaborating further, he told the Leaders Conference in Twickenham: 'Kick-off times are always an issue in our region because summers are hot in Canada and US.

'We're having conversations daily with European media and other world media, in terms of what's best and which are the stadiums that you can play at 3pm. That's all in the mix now.

'Once the actual schedule comes out after the draw, we will do our best to ensure it's taken into consideration. Will it be that every game will be absolutely perfect from a kick-off time, from a TV perspective? I don't know.'

Morocco, Portugal and Spain have been confirmed as co-hosts of the 2030 tournament. 

Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay will also hold matches to mark the centenary edition of the World Cup, which was won by the latter.