Move over, Messi—China’s AI soccer players are the new draw
Four teams of humanoid robots in Beijing faced off in fully autonomous soccer matches powered entirely by artificial intelligence in what was touted as a first in China. Read more: https://t.co/feI1ZrLLHX pic.twitter.com/RgBTKEbwOP
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 29, 2025
In a striking sign of the times, China’s humanoid robots are drawing is fanfare than the country’s men’s national soccer team, thanks to an AI-powered football spectacle that unfolded in Beijing over the weekend.
Four teams of humanoid robots competed in fully autonomous 3-on-3 soccer matches, captivating spectators not with elite athleticism but with cutting-edge technology. The event, described as the first of its kind in China, served as a preview of the upcoming World Humanoid Robot Games, set to take place in the capital.
Each robot operated independently using AI-driven strategies, with no human intervention during gameplay. Fitted with advanced visual sensors, the machines were able to track the ball, navigate the field, and even recover from falls—though some had to be carried off by staff on stretchers, much to the amusement of the crowd.
The matches are part of China’s broader push to advance humanoid robotics, using high-stakes, real-world environments like sports as development platforms.
“Sports competitions help accelerate the development of both algorithms and integrated hardware-software systems,” said Cheng Hao, CEO of Booster Robotics, which built the competing robots.
Cheng also emphasized safety, adding: “In the future, we may arrange for robots to play football with humans… That would help audiences build trust and understand that robots are safe.”
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