The Future of Football? China’s AI Robot Match Kicks Off a New Era
It wasn’t just the turf that was artificial at a recent football match in Beijing. On Saturday, China hosted its first fully autonomous humanoid robot football competition, as four AI-powered teams faced off in a series of three-a-side games.
The event marked a futuristic twist on the beautiful game, but fans of elite players like Kylian Mbappé can rest easy — human footballers aren’t being replaced just yet. Video clips from the matches revealed a comical blend of ambition and awkwardness, with robots frequently toppling over and missing kicks. Some struggled to even stay upright, and at least two had to be carried off the field after failing to get back on their feet.
Cheng Hao, CEO and founder of Booster Robotics — the company behind the humanoid players — sees athletic competition as a crucial proving ground for robotic development. “One day, we may see matches where humans play side-by-side with robots,” Cheng said. “But for that to happen, we need to make sure the robots are completely safe.”
Despite the fumbles, experts say the event reflects real progress in robotics. Professor Subramanian Ramamoorthy, chair of robot learning and autonomy at the University of Edinburgh, noted the similarities to international robotics competitions like RoboCup. “These humanoids are improving steadily year after year,” he said. “Even with the falls, the development is impressive.”
The contest featured university teams that customized their robots with self-designed algorithms. In the final showdown, Tsinghua University’s THU Robotics edged out the Mountain Sea team from China Agricultural University in a 5–3 victory.
One Tsinghua fan, elated by the win, also gave credit to the competition. “THU played brilliantly,” he said. “But the Mountain Sea team gave them a real challenge — their tactics were full of surprises.”
