Earlier this year, it was reported that Manchester City were looking to delve into the next biggest trend in fan engagement, by exploring the ‘metaverse’ sensation.

The Premier League champions had also previously put out advertisements for jobs in their Strategy and Ventures Team for aspiring applicants that could identify growth opportunities within the virtual reality market.

It does not look like Manchester City are set to stop anytime soon in their pursuit of exploring a relatively untapped market in football as of yet, with new information shining light on their latest intentions.

Reports suggest that Manchester City have started the process of building the world’s first football stadium inside the metaverse, with the involvement of virtual reality pioneers, Sony.

Further details suggest that through the use of ‘image analysis and skeletal-tracking technologies’ created by Sony’s subsidiary Hawk-Eye, the club’s Etihad Stadium will be built in the virtual world.

Additionally, club officials believe that the ultimate goal is to be able to fill up the virtual stadium’s capacity on numerous occasions, to ensure City fans that may never travel to Manchester can still watch live matches involving their club within the comfort of their own homes.

With Manchester City signing a three-year deal with Sony in 2021, aiming to develop new digital fan experiences, it has been claimed that the company’s experts have already visited the Etihad Stadium to digitally map it to recreate it in the virtual space.

It is certainly encouraging from a global supporters’ to see Manchester City being ahead of the curve once again, by diving deep into the metaverse space to enhance the overall experience of the club’s dedicated fanbase.