Viral “sky stadium” claim about Saudi Arabia’s World Cup plan debunked.
Over the weekend, social media went wild with claims that Saudi Arabia is building a World Cup stadium on top of a skyscraper, 350 metres above ground, for the FIFA World Cup 2034. The futuristic “sky stadium” visuals, complete with clouds, desert skylines, and drones, looked straight out of a sci-fi movie.
But here’s the truth: the viral images are not real.
The rumours began after several pages on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram shared an AI-generated video of what they called a “NEOM Sky Stadium” supposedly planned inside a skyscraper. The clip racked up millions of views and thousands of retweets, many believing Saudi Arabia had pulled off yet another architectural marvel.
However, reports have now confirmed that no such skyscraper stadium exists in official plans. The stadium shown online is based on concept art, not official designs from NEOM or FIFA.
Saudi Arabia is developing an elevated stadium, but not one perched on a skyscraper roof.
The real project, part of the NEOM mega-city development, involves a stadium built into the side of a mountain ridge within The Line, a futuristic linear city being constructed in the northwest desert.
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