Saudi World Cup bid pitches soccer stadium atop 170-km-long skyscraper

Saudi Arabia is bidding to host the 2034 World Cup soccer tournament. If successful, government authorities plan to build a futuristic new stadium within its audacious 170-km-long mirrored city in the desert, the Line.

The Line itself is an incredible horizontal skyscraper currently under construction in northwest Saudi Arabia. It'll be built in stages and it will take the form of a mirrored rectangle in the desert, hosting up to 9 million permanent residents once complete – so around the population of New York City in a big mirrored rectangle in the desert.

There have been rumors that the Line has fallen into trouble, with a scaling back of initial ambitions and widespread doubts that it'll ever reach that 170 km (105 mile) total length. However, the World Cup bid confirms that Saudi Arabian authorities are committed to completing the first section by 2030. This first section will have a length of 2.4 km (1.5 miles), a height of 500 m (1,640 ft), and a width of 200 m (656 ft). It will also straddle a large manmade marina.

Saudi Arabia will be keen to outshine regional rival Qatar's own World Cup experience and the so-called Neom Stadium is definitely a good way to go about this. Details are light at this early stage but we know it will be installed on the Line's fifth and uppermost floor, at a height of 350 m (almost 1,150 ft) above the ground. The render from the FIFA bid book depicts a chunky futuristic-looking stadium and it will run entirely on renewable energy, sourced primarily from wind and solar sources. There will also be superb transport links within the mirrored city to restaurants and hotels. However, as was the case in Qatar, heat will remain a concern for spectators and players.

"Neom Stadium will be the most unique stadium in the world," reads the description in the bid book. "With a pitch situated more than 350 meters above ground, stunning vistas, and a roof created from the city itself, the stadium will be an experience like no other. It will leverage the most advanced technology for players, spectators and broadcasters (e-ticket gates, 4K Ultra HD broadcasting, etc.). The stadium will have a capacity of more than 45,000."

Neom Stadium is the most interesting of 15 stadiums in total that are planned for Saudi Arabia's World Cup bid, and is due to begin construction in 2027, with completion expected by 2032.

Sources: FIFA [pdf], Saudi 2034 Bid, Neom