China Kicks Off First AI-Powered 3-on-3 Humanoid Robot Soccer Match in Beijing

In a high-tech spectacle in Beijing, four university teams fielded humanoid robots in China’s first fully autonomous AI-powered soccer matches.

Without human intervention, the robots identified the ball, passed, kicked, and even stood up after falling—though some needed stretchers.

The competition, powered by Booster Robotics hardware and student-designed algorithms, serves as a preview for the upcoming World Humanoid Robot Games and reflects China’s growing ambitions in AI and robotics.

Ironically, the event drew more excitement than China’s real men’s soccer team, already out of the 2026 World Cup.