Hyundai Motor Group dazzles World Cup stage with robots after 27-year FIFA partnership

Hyundai Motor Group's humanoid robot Atlas delivers a match ball to the center referee during halftime of the round-of-16 match between Brazil and Norway at the 2026 FIFA World Cup at MetLife Stadium on July 6 (local time). [Hyundai Motor Group]

Hyundai Motor Group has captured the world's attention by deploying its humanoid robot Atlas on the grandest stage in global sports — the FIFA World Cup — drawing fresh scrutiny to the automaker's long-running partnership with FIFA.

According to Hyundai Motor Group, Boston Dynamics' Atlas entered MetLife Stadium through the players' tunnel during halftime of the round-of-16 match between Brazil and Norway on July 6 (local time). The robot recreated goal celebrations by famous players and handed the match ball to the center referee, producing a scene rarely seen in World Cup history.

Hyundai Motor Group's quadruped robot Spot autonomously patrols key facilities and monitors the scene during the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America. [Hyundai Motor Group]

The performance drew widespread international praise. Fortune magazine said "something happened at the World Cup that has never happened before," expressing undisguised amazement. A behind-the-scenes video titled "Training Ground," documenting Atlas's training process and technical challenges, surpassed 16.49 million views on YouTube as of Monday.

From billboards to robots: a 27-year journey

Hyundai Motor's relationship with FIFA began in 1999. After the automotive sponsorship slot went unfilled following the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, global automakers competed for the official partner position — and Hyundai Motor secured it. The initial contract covered 13 FIFA-organized tournaments, including the 2002 FIFA Korea/Japan World Cup.

The first tournament Hyundai Motor participated in as an official partner was the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup in the United States. As the US team clinched victory in the final against China, Hyundai Motor's advertising boards were broadcast to audiences around the world. At the 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup, the Hyundai logo appeared on screen at historic moments for Korean football — including Yoo Sang-chul's decisive goal against Poland and Park Ji-sung's winner against Portugal.

Hyundai Motor Group Honorary Chairman Chung Mong-koo (third from right) and other key officials pose for a photo at the announcement ceremony for the official partnership with the 2002 FIFA Korea/Japan World Cup, held in 1999. [Hyundai Motor Group]

Kia joined as a FIFA official partner in 2007. Hyundai Motor Group's total FIFA sponsorship tenure is the third longest of any partner, behind only Adidas and Coca-Cola, and the longest in the automotive sector.

The nature of the sponsorship has also shifted over 27 years. What began as vehicle supply and brand exposure has expanded into a global platform encompassing eco-friendly mobility, robotics, sustainability and fan engagement.

Nearly 8,900 vehicles across 7 World Cups — record high this year

The foundation of the partnership is the supply of official vehicles that support tournament operations. Hyundai Motor Group has provided a total of roughly 8,900 vehicles across seven tournaments, from the 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup to this year's North and Central America World Cup. Lined up end to end at an average length of 4.5m per vehicle, they would stretch approximately 41 kilometers.

This year's tournament saw a record 2,160 vehicles deployed for a single edition. At the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, the group separately supplied Tucson hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell buses to the organizing committee, showcasing the potential of eco-friendly mobility. At the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, 316 of the 983 vehicles provided were eco-friendly models, including electric vehicles and hybrids.

The Ioniq 5 electric vehicle and Elec City hydrogen electric bus supplied by Hyundai Motor Group as official vehicles for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. [Hyundai Motor Group]

The group's contributions extended well beyond vehicles. In 2002, Hyundai Motor staged the "Goodwill Ball Road Show," displaying oversized footballs representing each of the 32 participating nations in major cities around the world. From 2006, it ran the "Hyundai Goal of the Tournament" campaign, letting fans vote for the best goal of each edition. More than 3 million people cast votes at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

At the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, the group distributed 1 million footballs to African children through the "Africa Dream Ball Project." The online fan park for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil drew about 7.5 million participants. The FIFA Museum, which Hyundai Motor Group has operated since 2018, has also established itself as a fan engagement space connecting the history of the World Cup with the group's sponsorship journey.

A rest and experience space set up by Kia outside a stadium for football fans attending the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. [Hyundai Motor Group]

This year, a FIFA Museum was set up at Radio Park in Rockefeller Center in New York, where Atlas and Spot were on display. Hyundai Motor applied children's drawings of national team cheering scenes to official team buses, while Kia expanded its "Official Match Ball Carrier" program — in which children are selected to deliver the match ball to referees before games — into a global youth football tournament called the OMBC Cup. Sixty-three young players from nine countries took part, with football legends including Thierry Henry serving as mentors.

The fan engagement programs have also translated into real growth for young players. Kim Ye-geon, who served as a match ball carrier during the South Korea vs. Uruguay match at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, signed a professional contract with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors this year — a case of a fan engagement program bridging a young player's dream and the professional stage.

The FIFA Museum operated in Moscow, Russia, during the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Hyundai Motor presented a special exhibition tracing the history of the World Cup and the group's official partnership journey. [Hyundai Motor Group]

Hyundai Motor Group plans to extend its official FIFA partnership through the 2030 World Cup in the Mediterranean. The 2030 tournament marks both the centenary of the World Cup and the point at which the group's partnership with FIFA will surpass 30 years.

US marketing trade publication Adweek said Hyundai Motor had gone beyond simply being a World Cup sponsor, calling it "a new global marketing case study that combined robotics technology and brand vision on a stage watched by fans around the world."

"Building on our FIFA partnership through 2030, we will continue working to develop the World Cup into a global platform that delivers new experiences and sustainable value to more people around the world," a Hyundai Motor Group official said.

kwater@heraldcorp.com