At the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup, the world's biggest festival, the most attention-grabbing presence off the pitch was the Humanoid Robot Atlas. It was the first time in the 90-year history of the World Cup that a robot delivered the official match ball to a human referee and performed iconic celebrations of star players. It was made possible by the partnership between Hyundai Motor Group and FIFA that has continued for 27 years since 1999.
On the 21st, according to Hyundai Motor Group, Boston Dynamics, the group's robotics affiliate, unveiled not only Atlas but also the quadruped robot Spot at this World Cup. Atlas appeared on the field during halftime of the round of 16 match between Brazil and Norway on the 5th (local time). Atlas mimicked goal celebrations by famous soccer players, including Son Heung-min and Haaland, and delivered the soccer ball to the referee. Spot conducted autonomous patrols at venues including Dallas and MetLife Stadium in New York–New Jersey.
Fortune, a U.S. business magazine, called Atlas's World Cup appearance "something that had never happened in World Cup history." Adweek, a U.S. marketing magazine, said it was "a new global marketing case that combines robotics technology with brand vision on a stage watched by fans around the world." The video "Training Ground," which showed how Atlas learned soccer moves, surpassed 16.5 million views on YouTube.
These scenes were possible at the World Cup because Hyundai Motor Group has a long-term partnership with FIFA. Hyundai Motor(005380) secured the position of official sponsor in the automobile category after the 1998 France World Cup and joined as a sponsor starting with the 1999 U.S. Women's World Cup. Since then, it has sponsored 13 tournaments, including the 2002 FIFA Korea–Japan World Cup. Kia(000270) also secured sponsorship status in 2007.
Hyundai Motor provided 2,160 vehicles at this tournament for transporting teams and event officials. It is the largest number for a single World Cup. From the 2002 FIFA Korea–Japan World Cup to this tournament, Hyundai Motor Group has provided a cumulative total of about 8,900 vehicles across seven World Cups. At the 2006 Germany World Cup, it piloted the Tucson Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicle and hydrogen buses, and at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, 316 of the 983 support vehicles were eco-friendly models such as electric and hybrid cars.
It also increased touchpoints with fans. Through the "Be There With Hyundai" campaign, it encouraged soccer fans to be more engaged with the World Cup. In this campaign, fans directly proposed slogans and messages to support their national teams, and the selected content was applied to each team's official bus, connecting players and fans.
Thanks to this partnership, Hyundai Motor Group assessed that it was able to grow from a latecomer in the global auto market into the world's No. 3 automaker.
Hyundai Motor Group will also participate as an official sponsor of the 2030 World Cup. The year 2030 marks the 100th anniversary of the World Cup and more than 30 years since Hyundai Motor Group began sponsoring FIFA. A Hyundai Motor Group official said, "We will keep working so the World Cup can continue to develop as a global platform that delivers new experiences and sustainable value to more people."