Hyundai is putting five rising soccer players at the center of its FIFA World Cup 2026 push.
The automaker launched "Next Starts Now," a U.S. campaign led by a 60-second film.
The spot features Son Heung-min, Boston Dynamics’ Atlas robot, and five young players from clubs across the U.S., England, Argentina, and Brazil:
- Khalil Mitchell of Chelsea FC Academy
- Bruno Cabral of Deportivo Morón
- Da’vian Kimbrough of Sacramento Republic FC
- Stella Spitzer of Carolina Ascent FC
- Kauan Basile of Santos FC
INNOCEAN USA developed the campaign, which will run across TV, digital, social, retail, and live fan experiences during the tournament.
Shorter cuts support the one-minute hero film across premium FIFA programming.
Hyundai is also extending the campaign into FIFA Fan Festival locations in Atlanta, L.A., Miami, and New York, with celebration activations and brand experiences.
Young Players Carry the Future
"Next Starts Now" connects young soccer talent with the automaker's mobility and robotics push.
The ad places Son Heung-min alongside five younger players and Atlas, using athlete, machine, and movement to define what Hyundai wants to stand for during the World Cup.
Hyundai Motor America CMO Sean Gilpin said the campaign draws a link between the next generation of soccer stars and Hyundai’s view of future technology.
"Neither are waiting for tomorrow, but rather confidently shaping the future today," Gilpin added in a press release.
He added that Hyundai wants its U.S. media strategy to show the brand is "ready NOW to share what’s next with fans everywhere."
INNOCEAN USA CCO Jason Sperling shared that the work focuses on future stars because World Cup advertising is already saturated with familiar names.
"The campaign introduces us to the next generation of FIFA World Cup stars and turns potential into reality," Sperling said.
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The rising-player focus gives Hyundai a cleaner lane in a crowded World Cup ad cycle.
Rising talent supports Hyundai’s mobility message without making the film depend solely on established stars.
Social Formats Give Fans a Role
Hyundai is breaking the film into fan-led formats across TikTok, Meta, YouTube, and creator partnerships.
"Next-Gen Predictions" lets players share tournament predictions with fans, and "Celebration Cam" invites fans to share their celebration dances.
"Rapid Fire" matchups will let fans compare predictions, while "We’re Next" introduces the featured young players.
@hyundai In School of Football, Atlas has been learning football. Now, can it impress Son Heung-Min? Next Starts Now #Hyundai#NextStartsNow#Atlas#SchoolofFootball#BostonDynamics♬ original sound - Hyundai Worldwide
A separate "Powered by Next" series will spotlight young culture across host cities, from sport and fashion to lifestyle and soccer-inspired hairstyles.
Hyundai will also use large-scale out-of-home placements in host cities, stadium corridors, and cultural hotspots.
The campaign extends into dealer activity, sponsor merchandise, CRM, HyundaiUSA.com, point-of-sale materials, and digital banners across Google, YouTube, and Meta platforms.
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Hyundai previously tied its World Cup work to young fans through its "Greatest Cheer" campaign, which turned national team buses into children's art galleries.
"Next Starts Now" extends the youth focus into emerging players, creator content, robotics, and fan participation.
Hyundai’s World Cup rollout offers three useful takeaways for brands entering any kind of sports sponsorship:
- Use emerging talent with purpose. Rising athletes can support a future-facing brand message when the campaign gives them a real role.
- Turn hero content into fan actions. Predictions, celebration clips, and social matchups give viewers ways to participate.
- Connect sponsorship to the host city experience. Fan festivals, OOH, retail, and dealer activity make the campaign visible beyond the broadcast.
Hyundai treats the World Cup as a brand platform, giving every channel a specific job to do across the tournament's five-week run.
Our Take: Can Hyundai Own What Comes Next?
Including Atlas in a World Cup campaign is the kind of creative decision most automotive sponsors would never approve.
But Atlas already has an audience.
Hyundai's TikTok series "School of Football," featuring the robot, racks up over 10 million views per video, which means Hyundai is activating an existing fanbase.
@hyundai Atlas takes its first steps into the world of football From basic drills to celebrations - every step is a beginning Next Starts Now #Hyundai#BostonDynamics#NextStartsNow#Atlas#SchoolofFootball♬ original sound - Hyundai Worldwide
We think that this compounding effect is the smarter play.
Young players and humanoid robots share the same cultural positioning for Hyundai.
Both represent what comes next, and both give the brand a forward-facing story that a legacy star and a car spot could never deliver alone.
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