World Cup 2026: Are You Watching the Football – or the Stadiums?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is underway. Across the world, fans are glued to the action, debating favourites, celebrating goals and analysing every result. But for those working in construction, engineering and architecture, there is often another spectacle unfolding alongside the football.

The stadiums.

From the scale of MetLife Stadium in New Jersey to the engineering behind SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and the retractable roof of AT&T Stadium in Texas, this year’s tournament is showcasing some of the most recognisable sporting venues in the world. Yet while the football captures the headlines, many construction professionals are still talking about one of the most remarkable stadium projects from the previous tournament.

A World Cup stadium built from shipping containers.

A stadium designed to be dismantled.

A project that challenged many of the assumptions surrounding how major sporting infrastructure is planned, constructed and reused.

Four years on from Qatar 2022, Stadium 974 remains one of the most talked-about examples of sustainable construction in world sport.

The Stadium Designed to Come Apart

Stadium 974 became one of the defining engineering stories of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Built using 974 recycled shipping containers and repurposed steel, it was the first fully demountable World Cup stadium in FIFA history. Rather than creating another permanent venue with an uncertain future after the tournament, the project focused on adaptability, reuse and relocation.

Designed by Fenwick Iribarren Architects alongside structural engineers schlaich bergermann partner, the 40,000-seat venue was conceived as a large-scale modular structure that could eventually be dismantled and reconstructed elsewhere.

At a time when sustainability is becoming an increasingly important consideration across the construction sector, Stadium 974 demonstrated that even major sporting infrastructure can be approached differently.

Building a Stadium Like a Giant Construction Kit

The project was designed around a modular “kit of parts” philosophy.

A structural steel frame formed the backbone of the venue, while shipping containers were adapted into functional building components containing concessions, washrooms, media facilities and operational spaces.

Many containers arrived in Qatar already fitted with electrical systems, plumbing and internal finishes. Some were even used to transport construction materials before becoming part of the stadium itself.

Unlike conventional stadium construction, the entire structure was assembled using bolted connections, allowing components to be removed and reused in the future.

Engineers also incorporated natural ventilation into the design. Positioned on Doha’s waterfront, the stadium was able to utilise sea breezes flowing through carefully planned gaps between containers and seating tiers, reducing reliance on mechanical cooling systems.

What makes the project particularly interesting is that it moved beyond traditional stadium construction practices, which typically focus on permanence and long-term occupation of a single site. The design team had to consider how every major component would perform during assembly, operation, disassembly, transportation and reconstruction. Structural performance, logistics, environmental impact, building services integration and future reuse all had to be considered simultaneously.

The result was a venue that challenged established approaches to large-scale construction and demonstrated how design, engineering and sustainability objectives can be addressed together from the earliest stages of a project.

Sustainability Beyond a Single Venue

While Stadium 974 captured headlines, it formed part of a wider sustainability strategy implemented across all Qatar 2022 venues.

Every World Cup stadium achieved GSAS sustainability certification, with initiatives including:

• Reduced energy consumption.
• Lower water usage.
• Recycled irrigation systems.
• More than 850,000 square metres of new green landscaping.
• Large-scale recycling and composting programmes during the tournament.

The venues were designed to consume less energy and water than traditional international benchmarks, demonstrating how environmental considerations are increasingly shaping major construction projects worldwide.

What Does This Mean for UK Construction?

Although few UK businesses will ever build a World Cup stadium, many face similar challenges every day.

Across the industry, contractors, architects and developers are under growing pressure to deliver projects that are more sustainable, more adaptable and more resource-efficient than ever before.

Whether it is modular construction, off-site manufacturing, low-carbon materials, advanced surveying technologies, energy-efficient building systems or design-for-disassembly principles, the sector is continually exploring new ways to meet evolving requirements.

Many of the UK’s most ambitious developments are already reflecting this trend. Projects such as Everton’s new waterfront stadium, proposed redevelopment plans at Old Trafford and major regeneration schemes across the country are placing increasing emphasis on sustainability, operational efficiency and modern construction techniques.

Construction teams are frequently required to overcome challenges relating to restricted site access, difficult ground conditions, structural constraints, environmental targets and evolving building standards. In many cases, established approaches may not provide a straightforward route to achieving the desired outcome.

As a result, businesses are increasingly evaluating alternative construction techniques, integrating technologies from other sectors and testing new ways of delivering projects safely, efficiently and sustainably.

R&D Is Often Happening on Site

When people think about research and development, they often picture laboratories, scientists or software developers.

In reality, some of the most interesting R&D activity takes place on construction sites and within design teams.

Projects involving advanced surveying techniques, new structural systems, modular construction approaches, low-carbon materials, digital modelling technologies and demanding sustainability requirements can involve extensive investigation, testing and iteration before a viable solution is achieved.

The thinking behind Stadium 974 provides a powerful example.

The challenge was not simply to construct another football stadium. It was to determine whether a major sporting venue could be assembled, dismantled, transported and reused while still meeting the demands of a global tournament.

That question drove exploration across architecture, structural engineering, logistics, sustainability and construction delivery.

As the construction sector continues to pursue more sustainable and efficient ways of building, similar challenges are appearing on projects throughout the UK.

What Construction Can Learn from the World’s Biggest Sporting Stage

The World Cup provides more than entertainment.

It offers a glimpse into how construction, engineering and architecture continue to evolve.

Stadium 974 demonstrated that large-scale infrastructure does not necessarily have to follow conventional models of permanent construction. By considering the entire lifecycle of a building from the outset, the project explored how materials, structural systems and building components could continue delivering value long after the tournament ended.

As sustainability targets become more demanding and clients seek greater flexibility from built assets, similar principles are becoming increasingly relevant across the UK construction sector.

So, while millions of fans focus on the action unfolding across North America, construction professionals may find themselves looking a little higher.

Because behind every iconic stadium is a story of engineering, architecture and construction that pushed beyond standard approaches and explored what could be achieved.

And sometimes, that’s every bit as interesting as the football itself.

Innovation doesn’t have to happen on a World Cup Stadium. Get in touch with our team to book a free R&D eligibility review and discover whether your projects could qualify.