Boston Dynamics' Atlas Robot Performs Halftime Show at World Cup 2026
The mass-production model of Atlas made its first public appearance, marking the first robot halftime show in World Cup history.
Reporting from 1 source: GIGAZINE.
Boston Dynamics' humanoid robot Atlas debuted its mass-production model during the FIFA World Cup 2026 halftime show on July 6. The robot performed goal celebrations of Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, Matheus Cunha, and Son Heung-min. It also handed a ball to the referee and posed for photos. The appearance was the first use of a robot in a World Cup halftime show, organized by sponsor Hyundai.
Hyundai, the official robotics partner of the 2026 World Cup, brought the mass-production version of Boston Dynamics' Atlas to the stadium for a halftime show during the Brazil vs. Norway Round of 16 match on July 6. The robot entered the field, ran, and recreated the goal celebrations of four international players: England's Harry Kane, Norway's Erling Haaland, Brazil's Matheus Cunha, and South Korea's Son Heung-min.
The appearance marked the first time the public saw the mass-production model, which Boston Dynamics developed after fully electrifying the Atlas design in 2024. The robot also waved, sat down, posed for photographs holding a ball, and handed the ball to the match referee.
Hyundai had teased the appearance on social media on July 3, posting that Atlas had arrived at the stadium. The company is the tournament's official robotics partner and owns Boston Dynamics. The halftime show was the first robot-led entertainment in World Cup history.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- GIGAZINE ボストン・ダイナミクスの人型ロボットAtlasがワールドカップデビュー