China Hosts First-Ever AI-Powered Robot Football Match
On June 28, 2025, Beijing witnessed the final match of the 2025 RoBoLeague Robot Football Tournament. This event marked China’s first fully autonomous 3-on-3 AI robot football competition. Moreover, it served as a trial run for the upcoming 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games. Robots from Tsinghua University’s THU Robotics team and Beijing Information Science and Technology University’s Blaze team competed fiercely, drawing robotics enthusiasts from across the country.
The championship title went to THU Robotics from Tsinghua University. China Agricultural University’s Mountain Sea team secured second place, while the Blaze team and the Power team from Tsinghua University’s Future Laboratory shared third place. Consequently, the tournament attracted fans through its unique blend of sports excitement and advanced AI technology.
Innovation and Future Impact Highlighted by Organizers
Bian Yuansong, chairman of Shangyicheng Group, which operates the event, explained that RoBoLeague acts as a testing ground for frontier technologies. These include bipedal dynamic balancing and multi-agent collaborative decision-making. He emphasized that the competition not only validates technical advances for future humanoid robot football but also strengthens robots’ sensitivity and responsiveness.
Furthermore, Bian stated, “The technologies showcased during the competition will be rapidly translated into real-world applications, directly benefiting industrial production and everyday life.” He also revealed plans to expand robot competition IPs, such as a robot half-marathon and future RoBoLeague events. These efforts aim to promote humanoid robotics in diverse real-world scenarios.
Enthusiastic Fans and Robots in Action
The event captivated a broad audience, including many young spectators who cheered enthusiastically during the matches. Robots demonstrated impressive agility and teamwork, thrilling the crowd. At times, robots even had to be carried off the field after “injuries,” adding a dramatic touch to the competition.
Overall, the RoBoLeague tournament signaled a major step forward in combining AI technology with sports. It promises to pave the way for more sophisticated humanoid robot competitions and practical robotic applications in the near future.
