A football match among robots was held in Beijing

On June 28, a football match was held in Beijing between humanoid robots. The team named Vulcan won with a score of 5:3.

🤖 The first 3-on-3 humanoid robot football match just took place in Beijing

It was the final of China's RoBoLeague, featuring robots from top universities — including Tsinghua. The bots relied entirely on their own algorithms to decide where to run, how to dodge opponents, and… pic.twitter.com/SVBS5DmuMH

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) June 29, 2025

The bots played two halves of 10 minutes each. Their movements were controlled by built-in algorithms. Each mechanical football player used cameras and sensors to detect the ball, the field, opponents, and made decisions in real time without human involvement.

The humanoids were dressed in black and purple t-shirts. Their movements were awkward, sometimes leading to falls.

The bots raised their fists in the air after each goal scored. Sending the ball into the net was not difficult — the goalkeepers were struggling with their duty.

China is directing significant funding towards the development of robotics. According to Morgan Stanley, this market is valued at $47 billion — 40% of the global total. Forecasts suggest it will grow by 23% annually and reach $108 billion by 2028.

"China is not only the largest market but also possibly the global center of innovation, contributing to cost efficiency and the development of next-generation robotics," analysts at the bank believe.

Mechanical footballers used reinforcement learning techniques for real-time decision-making regarding passing, dribbling, shooting, or attempting to predict the actions of a teammate.

The Saturday game served as a preview for the World Games of Humanoid Robots, which China plans to hold from August 15 to 17 in Beijing. The event will include 11 sports competitions, including gymnastics, athletics, and football.

Let us remind you that in June, 432 robotic legs moved the complex of historical buildings weighing 7,500 tons back to its original place.

In April, a humanoid robot participated in the Beijing Half Marathon.