Imagine: you put on light virtual reality glasses — and suddenly you find yourself at "Camp Nou." Next to you is an avatar of a friend from Tokyo, and an avatar of Messi (who is already 40 but immortal in the digital world) is running on the field. You scream, wave a virtual flag, and in a second you are transported to "Maracana" to watch the final. This is not science fiction. The metaverse is already entering sports, and by 2035 virtual stadiums may become the norm. They will not replace live emotions, but complement them, making sports accessible to billions. How will it work? What are the benefits for fans, clubs, and sponsors? Let's look into the near future. From broadcasting to presence: the evolution of watching Initially, we watched sports at the stadium. Then — on television. Later — on a laptop and smartphone. The next stage is immersion. Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies have reached such a level that already in 2026 you can buy a ticket to a "virtual match" and feel yourself on the stands. But the real metaverse is not just 360-degree video. It is a shared space where thousands of fans can interact with each other, choose the angle, even influence the atmosphere (for example, lighting virtual fireworks). Unlike television, where you are a passive viewer, in the metaverse you are a participant. How a virtual stadium is structured A virtual stadium is a 3D model of a real arena (or a fantasy one). You enter through a portal (a website, an app, a VR headset). Create an avatar (your own face or a fictional character). Buy a "digital ticket" for cryptocurrency or fiat. Choose a section: VIP box, fan "kettle," family section. Inside, everything is like at a real stadium: scoreboard, commentator, beer stands (where you can buy virtual beer, but drink it in real life — delivery by courier). Cameras from the real match are broadcasted into the 3D model. You can watch the game from any angle: sitting behind the goal, from the hei ... Read more