As Norway and Brazil were set to get back to play in the second half at New York/New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, a special guest delivered the match ball to the head referee on the pitch.
Hyundai Motor Company integrated Atlas, an advanced humanoid robot developed by Boston Dynamics, into the Round of 16 match. Hyundai Motor, the official robotics partner of the World Cup, delivered the first-ever robotics-powered halftime activation to a live global audience.
As the sold-out crowd in New Jersey, and the millions watching from home, looked on, Atlas did a twirl near the tunnel while holding the match ball. Then, he gave a slight bow before handing it to the referee to begin play once more.
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It was a key moment for Hyundai Motor Group as it underscored the company’s growing leadership in robotics as well as its commitment to advancing human-centered innovation through experiences that connect technology with people in meaningful ways.
And what better place to do that than the World Cup.
This activation brought advanced robotics to the world’s biggest tournament, marking the first public demonstration of Atlas’ real-world movement capabilities. Atlas was first introduced at CES 2026, but those who couldn’t catch it there saw what it was capable of in real time on Sunday.
Also, this was the first-ever integration of a humanoid robot into a World Cup live match environment.
“As part of Hyundai’s ‘Next Starts Now’ campaign, we wanted Atlas’s performance on the world’s biggest stage to demonstrate that the future isn’t something we imagine – it starts now,” Sungwon Jee, executive vice president and global chief marketing officer at Hyundai Motor Company, said in a statement.
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“At Hyundai, we are committed to developing human-centered innovation that integrates seamlessly into everyday life, and to presenting a new vision of future mobility expanded through robotics – showing that robotics can be a trusted partner in humanity’s progress through diverse and creative brand experiences.”
As Jee mentioned, Hyundai Motor’s global “Next Starts Now” campaign connects communities through football, while also inspiring the next generation of players, fans and innovators. The integration of Atlas on Sunday showed how conceptual demonstrations can turn into a real-life moment.
Boston Dynamics worked hard to get Atlas right for the big moment at New York/New Jersey stadium. Atlas’s performance was powered by several core robotics capabilities to enable advanced movement and real-world interaction, including retargeting technology, reinforcement learning and whole-body control.
The retargeting technology allows Atlas to translate and adapt human movements, which included the football-inspired celebration and gesture it featured on its spin near the tunnel. Then, reinforcement learning uses thousands of simulations to train and refine movements before Atlas is deployed.
Finally, whole-body control coordinates movement across Atlas’ entire body, enabling fluid, balanced and dynamic motion – all of which were on display at halftime.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HYMLF | HYUNDAI MOTOR CO. | 89 | -31.00 | -25.83% |
“At Boston Dynamics, we have always taken inspiration from human athletic feats like gymnastics, dancing, parkour and now football to push forward the frontier of what robots can do in a way that connects with people,” Alberto Rodriguez, director of Robotics behavior at Boston Dynamics, said in a statement. “Working with Hyundai Motor Group and FIFA to create such a unique moment for fans was an exciting challenge for our team. The way we trained Atlas to perform these fun movements at the match is similar to how we teach the robot to take on real-world industrial applications.
“It’s a great way to introduce people everywhere to the incredible potential of today’s AI-enabled robots.”
While the World Cup activation represents Hyundai Motor’s most visible demonstration of its robotics ambitions, the company continues to invest in robotics, autonomous systems and human-centered innovation as it remains focused on how these technologies can create meaningful experiences and help shape a more connected future for all.
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