The China robot soccer team made history at this year’s RoboCup tournament in Brazil. Tsinghua University’s Hephaestus squad beat CAU’s Mountain & Sea team 5–3 in the Humanoid AdultSize final. This marks the first-ever gold for a China robot soccer team in RoboCup’s top category.
From the group stage forward, Chinese teams performed with clear dominance. The Chinese humanoid soccer squad defeated top global opponents like UT Austin Villa with scores of 16–0 and 12–0. All winning robots were developed in China, showcasing advanced artificial intelligence and precise mobility systems.
One standout moment featured a robot scoring a dramatic diving header, later called the “robot Van Persie dive.” This impressive play thrilled the audience and clearly demonstrated the quick reflexes of the Chinese humanoid soccer squad.
China Agricultural University’s Mountain & Sea team made a strong debut at RoboCup. Although they lost the final, they beat UT Austin Villa 9–0 in the semifinals. Their team leader praised the win and noted that the Chinese humanoid soccer squad trains with powerful AI and vision systems.
Beyond match outcomes, RoboCup highlighted China’s growing role in global robotics. Both Chinese and foreign teams relied on K1 and T1 robots made by Booster Robotics. This proves the Chinese humanoid soccer squad now leads in both competition performance and robot hardware innovation.
In the KidSize category, Tsinghua’s TH-MOS team placed second behind Germany’s Boosted HTWK. Still, both teams relied on Chinese K1 robots for speed and accuracy. Experts said these robots were 3–5 times faster than their competitors.
Booster Robotics’ founder said the China robot soccer team now uses global-grade tools. Their performance reflects major advances in real-time decision-making and physical precision. This gives the China robot soccer team a major edge in full-stack robotic competition.
RoboCup uses a 3v3 match format without human control. Each robot must pass, shoot, and defend using its own AI-powered strategy. This makes it a perfect test for smart teamwork and individual skill.
China plans to host the first 5v5 World Humanoid Sports Games soon. Several teams from RoboCup, including the China robot soccer team, will compete in that event too.
