Hyundai Motor Reveals Stage-Based Goal of the Tournament Voting for 2026 World Cup
Hyundai Motor revamps its FIFA World Cup Goal of the Tournament award with a stage-based voting format to boost fan engagement throughout the 2026 competition.
- 2006
- over 3 million
What Happened
Hyundai Motor Company announced an updated format for its Hyundai Goal of the Tournament for the FIFA World Cup 2026, transforming the fan-favorite award into a stage-based voting platform. The evolution reinforces Hyundai Motor's role in sharing unforgettable World Cup moments with global fans and delivering impactful brand experiences through sport.
“The FIFA World Cup creates unforgettable moments for fans around the world, and Hyundai Motor is proud to help celebrate those moments by creating more opportunities for fans to participate and stay connected throughout the tournament. By evolving the Hyundai Goal of the Tournament format for the FIFA World Cup 2026, we aim to deepen fan engagement and share in the excitement of the game.”
- 2006: Maxi Rodríguez (Argentina) for his volley against Mexico in the Round of 16
- 2010: Diego Forlán (Uruguay) for his strike against Germany in the third-place match
- 2014: James Rodríguez (Colombia) for his goal against Uruguay in the Round of 16
- 2018: Benjamin Pavard (France) for his strike against Argentina, with over 3 million votes
- 2022: Richarlison (Brazil) for his bicycle kick against Serbia
Beginning with the FIFA World Cup 2026, the voting format will allow fans to select the best goal during the group stage and each knockout round. After the tournament Final, a global vote will determine the overall Goal of the Tournament champion from the stage winners.
- Largest-ever official fleet deployment to support tournament operations
- First-ever robotics integration tied to FIFA World Cup programming
- Be There With Hyundai (BTWH) global artwork contest
- Global Test Drive Campaign for customers
- Additional fan experiences and activations
Previously from Hyundai
Hyundai Motor had previously integrated Boston Dynamics' Atlas humanoid robot into a FIFA World Cup 2026 halftime performance, marking the first live match environment use of a humanoid robot.
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Hyundai's official releases.
Why this matters
The new format lets fans vote for the best goal in each stage of the tournament, rather than a single winner at the end, keeping engagement high throughout the World Cup. It deepens Hyundai Motor's connection with global football fans and strengthens its brand during the event.
Terms in This Story
- Goal of the Tournament
- An award recognizing the best goal scored in a FIFA World Cup tournament, selected by fan vote.
- Stage-based voting
- A voting format that allows fans to select winners at multiple phases of the competition (group stage, knockout rounds, final) rather than only at the end.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.