Humanoid robot Atlas makes a high-profile appearance during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match between Brazil and Norway at East Rutherford, New Jersey. Atlas, a roughly five-foot-tall robot developed by Boston Dynamics, delivers the match ball to the referee, Ismail Elfath, ahead of the second half. Reports describe Atlas as having 56 points of movement across its body and being able to perform a soccer-related task as part of its on-field demonstration.
The robot’s participation is linked to Hyundai Motor’s global brand campaign “Next Starts Now,” with Hyundai also noted as an official FIFA partner since 1999. The appearance is presented as a coordinated match-day performance involving the automaker’s FIFA partnership and Boston Dynamics’ Atlas capabilities.
Across coverage, the shared focus is the robot’s on-field ball-delivery role during the Brazil–Norway match and the technical and promotional context surrounding Atlas’ World Cup debut.
