Not Ronaldo, but not bad: China hosts first football match between humanoid robots

The first football match between teams of humanoid robots was held in Beijing. Four university teams, including Tsinghua University and Beijing Information Science and Technology University, took part in the competition.

Here's What We Know

The match was played in a 3-on-3 format and consisted of two halves of 10 minutes each. The robots were controlled autonomously - without any intervention from operators or remote control. All decisions were made independently by the robots based on data from cameras and sensors, using deep learning algorithms.

The androids were developed by Booster Robotics. According to the manufacturer, they are able to recognise a football at a distance of up to 20 metres with an accuracy of more than 90%. The algorithms allow the models to choose tactics - such as passing the ball, dribbling or taking shots on goal.
The robots successfully played the match, despite some coordination difficulties and frequent falls, after which they were treated humanely and carried off the pitch on a stretcher.

In the final, the THU Robotics team from Tsinghua University defeated a team from China Agricultural University called Mountain Sea 5-3.

The match was part of the preparation for the International Humanoid Robot Games, which will be held in August 2025. There, robots will compete in 11 disciplines, including football, gymnastics and synchronised dance. The main goal is to demonstrate the potential for the application of humanoid robotics in various fields: from medicine to logistics.

In May, the Chinese company Unitree Robotics held the Iron Fist King tournament, in which humanoid robots competed in kickboxing for the first time and, frankly speaking, were somewhat more successful and graceful than their football colleagues.

Source: Interesting Engineering