Atlas, the humanoid robot, delivers match ball at World Cup

Atlas, an advanced humanoid robot, stepped pitchside to deliver the match ball to the referee at halftime at New York New Jersey Stadium, where Brazil were playing Norway in the round of 16. The match occurred on July 5, 2026, at the stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The robot brought the match ball out before the second half. Its moves included imitating a few goal celebrations, including Norwegian striker Erling Haaland's meditation pose. Boston Dynamics set up a radio link after stadium crowds made standard Wi-Fi unusable. The robot is developed by Boston Dynamics. Hyundai Motor integrated the robot into the tournament. The photographs were credited to Reuters photographer Jeenah Moon. Reuters published the report on July 6, 2026, at 12:16 AM UTC.