The massive structure, which will hold up the roof of the new Wembley Stadium, weighs nearly 2,000 tonnes, has a span of 315 metres and will eventually reach 133 metres in to the London sky.

When welding is complete, it will only be a matter of weeks before the arch is ready to be raised via a complex procedure which could itself take weeks to complete.

The arch is an engineering marvel, which has enabled the architects to create the largest single-span roof in the world, covering 90,000 fans without the need for pillars - guaranteeing every fan an unobstracted view of the action.

Work is currently ahead of schedule and Wembley is on course to open early in 2006.