The FIFA World Cup saw a total of 104 games take place over just 38 days, bringing together 48 teams from around the globe. The scale of the tournament is only set to increase over time as FIFA President Gianni Infantino hints at a 64-nation tournament. As the size of the World Cup increases with more teams, fans, and staff, the UK’s current stadia stock and infrastructure will need to adapt to accommodate larger sporting events.
It’s not as straightforward as simply squeezing more seats into a pre-existing venue. Adherence to technical standards of regulatory bodies, not least FIFA’s rigorous technical standards, needs to be considered from the earliest planning stages of a modernised stadia programme for them to be functional.
Meeting the demands of larger tournaments will call for far more than additional seating capacity. It will require sophisticated planning, technical innovation and a construction industry capable of delivering complex venues at scale.
Part of the team
If the UK were to host an expanded World Cup, a swift programme of stadium builds would be necessary, and potential challenges considered and mitigated before construction even begins. Close and proactive supply chain management is vital when delivering technologically advanced infrastructure. Even something as straightforward as effective communication can have a significant impact on project outcomes.
Bringing together highly specialised materials from various locations takes significant planning and coordination. By their nature, stadium projects are likely to call for complex features, such as a bespoke roof, or heavy structures like the 35 tonne light towers built during the Olympic Stadium project. Major works may also need to be delivered around existing operations, event calendars or surrounding communities.
Early planning for a project needs to go beyond just design intent. Plans should address buildability, sequencing, logistics and safety from the outset, particularly where prefabrication, heavy lifting or working at height are needed.
Client-contractor collaboration
In addition to this, it’s important that, from a project’s inception, client and contractor values are clearly aligned and understood by one another. Collaboration is often an industry buzzword, but implementing a truly collaborative project is far easier said than done. Any stadium build will face challenges or changes, but installing a key understanding of the specific detail of client expectations facilitates these changes to be managed successfully.
Close alignment between project partners is essential if the UK’s stadium stock is going to keep up with growing demand. During both the Emirates and Olympic Stadium projects, this was made much easier by physical proximity, as client and project teams shared an office space. The integrated team working structure allowed for decisions to be made as a collective effort, speeding up delivery and overall efficiency.
Sharing one workspace also allowed a flexible approach that could field the inevitable changes that emerge over the course of a project. During the Emirates Stadium project, sponsorship arrangements were finalised after construction had already commenced, resulting in significant design and delivery changes. Through clear and constant communication between the project team and client, these changes were navigated quickly; underpinned by extensive preparation for all eventualities.
Potential for placemaking
Successful stadium projects must be viewed through a wider lens than engineering and construction alone. As civic mixed-use assets, when adequately prepared for, stadia projects have the potential to boost local community engagement and economic activity.
The construction process itself can provide jobs for local supply chains and surrounding communities, and so too does the finished project. As stadia get bigger and more complex, there are more employment opportunities in their day-to-day running.
The social value of a project should also be placed at the forefront. Many international stadia have often fallen into disuse after a tournament, but ensuring local communities feel included is crucial to creating a lasting legacy and maintaining the long-term relevance of a stadium. Sports teams typically have strong local outreach, such as visiting local schools, and this can be the basis for further social benefit.
Each aspect of the hospitality and matchday experience also needs to be tested to identify issues long before opening. There can be significant outlay on modelling transport choices for fans, but if this doesn’t reflect what spectators actually do, crowds may unexpectedly impact the local area. Buy-in from the community is crucial, and ‘ramp-up’ events with considerable planning prior can demonstrate how a stadium runs in practice.
For the long run
If the UK were to hold a future World Cup, the challenge is not only to build more stadium capacity, but to deliver venues that work for tournaments, clubs and communities. Through early collaboration, technical excellence and a commitment to long-term legacy, the UK’s stadia can become far more than tournament venues. They can serve as enduring community assets that generate economic, social and sporting value for generations.
