The 2034 World Cup may only be a decade away, but work has already started on a stunning futuristic Minecraft arena in Saudi Arabia.
The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium is located on a 200-meter high cliff in Riyadh and is decorated with LED panels.
The 45,000-seat car is expected to cost more than £1 billion and construction will start in 2026.
The logo-style arena will be the world's first fully integrated venue with a combined retractable field and artificial LAKE air conditioning.
The LED wall will be a portal for live broadcasts of events and high-definition films and will open to reveal breathtaking views of the city when not activated.
There will be three stands, one side open, offering dramatic views of the city of Qiddiya itself.
The exterior will be formed by a collection of modular cubes that will act as the extension of the Tuwaiq cliffs in a vast digital canvas.
The aim, in addition to hosting football matches at the 2034 World Cup, is to “connect the upper plateau and the gaming and esports precinct with the theme parks below”, according to The Mail.
A Saudi industry insider told The Mail: “This will be the first time we see this come to life.
“SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles has a huge screen. This stadium is a huge screen.”
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The climate is controlled via a lake below that collects rainwater to pre-cool the air conditioning system.
There will be a retractable roof and a digital wall that will drop into the viewer's view, and work is expected to be completed in 2029.
And at the touch of a button, the surface changes from grass to artificial grass.
The Minecraft-like stadium will play host to Cristiano Ronaldo's current side Al-Nassr once it is completed.
Beneath the glitzy facades of Saudi developments lie stories of threats, forced expulsions and bloodshed.
Many projects have faced fierce criticism for human rights abuses, including the £400 billion Neom Stadium project, which has reportedly seen tribes displaced from their homelands, imprisoned or executed.
Just last month, workers complained in an ITV documentary about 16-hour working days, with their passports confiscated and in some cases not paid.
The documentary also included claims that 21,000 Indian, Bangladeshi and Nepalese workers, each working on Saudi Vision 2030, had been killed in the country since 2017.
These allegations have been strongly refuted by the National Occupational Safety and Health Council.
The groundbreaking science-fiction stadium is one of 15 to be built as Saudi Arabia approaches hosting rights for the 2034 World Cup.
The official announcement will come from FIFA on December 11, but there will be no counter-offer following Australia's withdrawal.
As such, Saudi Arabia will become the second Middle Eastern country (after Qatar) to host the world's biggest sporting spectacle in a decade.
The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium, named after the country's Prime Minister, Crown Prince and de facto ruler, will be one of eleven new venues to be added to the four current grounds.
Another futuristic arena is being built in Neom.
The astonishing structure will not be accessible by car as it is located 350 meters above the ground in the unbuilt city of Neom, known as 'The Line'.
It is a vertical garden city without cars, streets or CO2 emissions for its residents, all in one long building.
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