Robots enter the World Cup, shifting how large-scale events are run and experienced
Updated
April 8, 2026 10:35 AM
Hyundai Motor Company Dealership, Alabama, US. PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK
As the FIFA World Cup 2026 approaches, attention is beginning to shift beyond the matches themselves to how an event of this scale is organised and run. Managing teams, coordinating venues and handling large crowds requires a system that works with precision. This time, robotics is set to become part of that system.
Hyundai Motor Company, a long-time FIFA partner, is expanding its role for the 2026 tournament. Alongside its traditional responsibility of providing vehicles for teams, officials and media, the company will introduce robotics in collaboration with Boston Dynamics. Robots including Atlas and Spot are expected to be deployed at selected venues.
According to the announcement, these systems will be used to support tournament operations while contributing to safety and efficiency. They will also play a role in shaping how fans experience the event, indicating a broader use of technology within the tournament environment. While specific use cases have not been detailed, the inclusion of robotics reflects a growing effort to integrate advanced systems into large-scale public events.
The direction was introduced through the company’s global campaign, “Next Starts Now,” unveiled at the 2026 New York International Auto Show. The campaign is positioned around its wider focus on innovation across mobility and robotics, aligning with its long-standing partnership with FIFA, which now spans more than two decades. As part of the 2026 tournament, the company will also deploy its largest mobility fleet to date, working alongside these newer systems across venues.
Beyond operations, the initiative extends into community engagement. Youth football camps are set to take place across four host cities in the United States—Atlanta, Miami, New Jersey and Los Angeles—targeting children between the ages of six and twelve. A global drawing programme will also invite young fans to submit artwork supporting their national teams, with selected designs to be featured on official team buses during the tournament.
Taken together, the introduction of robotics alongside existing infrastructure points to a gradual shift in how major events are supported. Rather than operating only behind the scenes, technology is becoming more visible within the event itself. How these systems perform in a live, large-scale setting will become clearer once the tournament begins.
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Inside Mercuryo’s Visa Partnership
Updated
February 10, 2026 11:18 PM
Close up of Visa credit cards. PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK
Mercuryo is a fintech startup that builds the infrastructure to enable money to move seamlessly between crypto and traditional banking systems. In simple terms, it works on the problem of turning digital assets into usable cash.
As more people hold crypto through wallets and exchanges, one practical issue keeps arising: how do you actually withdraw that money and use it in the real world? For many users, converting tokens into local currency is still slow, confusing or expensive. That gap between “owning” crypto and being able to spend it is where Mercuryo operates.
The company’s latest step forward is a partnership with Visa to improve what is known as “off-ramping” — the process of converting crypto into fiat currency like dollars or euros. Until now, this has often been slow, expensive and confusing for users. Mercuryo is using Visa Direct, Visa’s real-time payments system, to make that process faster and more direct.
With this integration, users can convert their digital tokens into local currency and send the money straight to a Visa debit or credit card. The transaction happens through systems that already power global card payments, which means the money can arrive in near real time instead of days later.
Technically, this connects two very different worlds. On one side is blockchain-based crypto, which moves value on decentralised networks. On the other side is the traditional payment system, which runs on banks, cards and regulated rails. Mercuryo’s platform sits between the two and handles the conversion and movement of funds.
Instead of users leaving their wallet or exchange to cash out, Mercuryo allows the conversion to happen inside the apps and platforms they already use. The user does not need to understand the plumbing behind it. They just see that crypto becomes spendable money on their card.
This matters because access is what makes any financial system usable. If people cannot easily move their money, they treat it as locked or risky. Faster off-ramps make digital assets more practical, not just speculative.
Mercuryo’s work is not about creating new tokens or trading tools. It is about building the pipes that let money move smoothly between Web3 and the traditional financial world. The Visa partnership strengthens those pipes by using a global, trusted payments network that already works at scale.
Visa also framed the partnership as a bridge between systems. Anastasia Serikova, Head of Visa Direct, Europe, said: "By leveraging Visa Direct's capabilities, Mercuryo is not only making converting to fiat faster, simpler and more accessible than ever—it's building bridges between the crypto space and the traditional financial system. This integration empowers users to seamlessly convert digital assets into fiat in near real time, creating a more connected and convenient payment experience".
Over time, this kind of infrastructure is what determines whether crypto remains niche or becomes part of everyday finance. Not through headlines, but through systems that quietly reduce friction.
Mercuryo’s direction is clear: make digital assets easier to use, easier to exit and easier to connect to the money systems people already rely on.