Screenshot: Hyundai
Hyundai Motor Company launched a campaign featuring Boston Dynamics' humanoid robot Atlas learning to play soccer, tying the effort to its sponsorship of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The campaign, called "School of Football," is a five-part episodic video series released across Hyundai's global social channels from May 25 to May 29. It follows Atlas progressing through soccer skills — from observing fans to executing advanced moves — with the series culminating in the robot performing a "Ghost Rabona," a cross-leg kick requiring precise timing, balance, and deceptive motion.
All movements in the campaign were performed by Atlas without the use of computer-generated imagery, the company said. To achieve those movements, Atlas analyzes human soccer movement data, which is then translated into a physics-based simulation environment where the robot trains through reinforcement learning — repeating cycles of trial and error to optimize stability, accuracy, and execution.
Hyundai said the campaign is part of its broader "Next Starts Now" FIFA World Cup 2026 platform. The company is a long-term partner of the FIFA World Cup.
