India, Dec. 3 -- Russian gymnast Sergey Boytsov has left the internet awestruck after staging what he claims is the world's first hot-air balloon football match, played on a makeshift pitch suspended 1,800 metres above the ground. The high-altitude stunt has gone viral on social media, racking up tens of millions of views.

In the video shared by Boytsov on Instagram, a couple of players are seen in full football gear with parachute backpacks strapped on. They are seen sprinting, passing, tackling and even scoring goals on a tiny platform dangling beneath a hot-air balloon. An aircraft circles overhead to capture the spectacle, revealing a narrow field swaying gently in the wind, with miniature figures darting across it thousands of feet ...