Hyundai's Atlas robot delivers ball at World Cup halftime

A humanoid robot named Atlas made history at the FIFA World Cup, delivering the match ball to the referee during halftime of a Round of 16 match between Norway and Brazil at New York-New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, July 5, 2026. The appearance, orchestrated by Hyundai Motor Company, the tournament's official robotics partner, marked the first integration of a humanoid robot into a live World Cup match environment.

Before handing the ball to the official, the five-foot-tall robot, developed by Hyundai-owned Boston Dynamics, emerged from the players' tunnel and performed a series of goal celebrations modeled after star players, including Norway's Erling Haaland, England's Harry Kane, Brazil's Matheus Cunha, and South Korea's Son Heung-min. The demonstration was a public showcase of the robot's advanced real-world movement capabilities, which required solving unique challenges like navigating a grass pitch and operating amid dense wireless interference from tens of thousands of fans' cellphones. Engineers established a dedicated radio link and adapted the robot's training to handle the variable traction of a grass surface.

Alberto Rodriguez, director of robot behavior at Boston...