Robo-dogs patrol the stadiums, and the Internet panics. The World Cup is like an episode of Black Mirror

The 2026 World Cup starts on June 11, but the works are already in place. Two four-legged Spot robo-dogs from Boston Dynamics walk the corridors of the World Cup International Broadcast Center in Dallas. Yellow and black, with 360-degree cameras and the Hyundai logo on the side. They shake their heads, watch journalists and technicians pass by, and viral videos of preparations at nearby AT&T Stadium cause panic on TikTok. Someone wrote that robots scan fans' faces, and someone else picked it up. The manufacturer denies it, but the Internet is not convinced and the tournament hasn't even started yet.

Two robots at the opening, a viral TikTok and panic before the first whistle

On June 1, FIFA officially opened the International Broadcast Center at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas. It is a gigantic hub with an area of ​​45,000 m2. m², from which thousands of journalists will cover the tournament, and VAR systems will support matches at all 16 stadiums in the USA, Canada and Mexico. Two Spot robots appeared at the ceremony and from that day on, they have been patrolling the facility 24/7.

FIFA has confirmed the deployment of Spot robots in two key tournament locations: the International Broadcast Center and the New York Stadium. The units have already started patrols in the pre-tournament phase. The first match in Dallas itself - the Netherlands vs. Japan - is scheduled for June 14 in Dallas. According to current plans, robots will continue to support security also during the games.

He dances, shakes his head and sends a live image

Spot is a four-legged Boston Dynamics platform produced since 2019 and commercially available from 2020, weighing 32 kg, capable of climbing stairs, uneven terrain and moving inside buildings. It is equipped with 360-degree spherical cameras, thermal sensors, directional microphones and artificial intelligence-based software to detect anomalies. All sensor data is transmitted in real time to operators in the security center.

At the World Cup venues, Spot is primarily intended to function as a mobile inspection system: patrolling restricted zones, analyzing parcels left behind, detecting thermal anomalies and monitoring unauthorized intrusions.

TikTok vs. Spokesperson

The video that started a storm appeared on TikTok at the end of May. The user recorded Spot at AT&T Stadium during the World Cup preparations and described it as a robot scanning faces to verify tickets. The footage was viewed by millions of people, and the facial recognition claim spread on social media.

In response to media reports, Boston Dynamics issued a statement to WFAA, which emphasized that the Spot units deployed at the World Cup venues do not have facial recognition capabilities. Detection of the presence of people in restricted access zones is carried out based on the analysis of movement and silhouette shape, without personal identification and without comparison with any databases.

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The problem, however, is that Spot could technically have such abilities. The platform has an open architecture and supports third-party modules, including cameras with a resolution sufficient to identify people. Boston Dynamics has been declaring for years that it prohibits the use of its robots for tasks that may intimidate people or violate their privacy, but these declarations are an internal company policy, not binding law. Therefore, nothing prevents the operator from installing software that the manufacturer does not officially support.

Will something like this happen at the World Cup? There is no indication of this, but the question itself, which millions of people ask themselves after one TikTok video, says more than many analyses. It shows how deep the distrust towards surveillance technology in public space runs today. People don't ask if it's possible, but if they're already doing it.

*Introductory art source: Boston Dynamic; AI; Canva Pro