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China's Humanoid Robots Generate More Soccer Excitement than their Human Counterparts

Billboard illustrating humanoid robots at 2018 China International Robot Show in Shanghai. Reuters
Billboard illustrating humanoid robots at 2018 China International Robot Show in Shanghai. Reuters
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China's Humanoid Robots Generate More Soccer Excitement than their Human Counterparts

Billboard illustrating humanoid robots at 2018 China International Robot Show in Shanghai. Reuters
Billboard illustrating humanoid robots at 2018 China International Robot Show in Shanghai. Reuters

While China's men's soccer team hasn't generated much excitement in recent years, humanoid robot teams have won over fans in Beijing based more on the AI technology involved than any athletic prowess shown.

Four teams of humanoid robots faced off in fully autonomous 3-on-3 soccer matches powered entirely by artificial intelligence on Saturday night in China's capital in what was touted as a first in China and a preview for the upcoming World Humanoid Robot Games, set to take place in Beijing.

According to the organizers, a key aspect of the match was that all the participating robots operated fully autonomously using AI-driven strategies without any human intervention or supervision.

Equipped with advanced visual sensors, the robots were able to identify the ball and navigate the field with agility

They were also designed to stand up on their own after falling. However, during the match several still had to be carried off the field on stretchers by staff, adding to the realism of the experience.

China is stepping up efforts to develop AI-powered humanoid robots, using sports competitions like marathons, boxing, and football as a real-world proving ground.

Cheng Hao, founder and CEO of Booster Robotics, the company that supplied the robot players, said sports competitions offer the ideal testing ground for humanoid robots, helping to accelerate the development of both algorithms and integrated hardware-software systems.

He also emphasized safety as a core concern in the application of humanoid robots.

“In the future, we may arrange for robots to play football with humans. That means we must ensure the robots are completely safe,” Cheng said. “For example, a robot and a human could play a match where winning doesn’t matter, but real offensive and defensive interactions take place. That would help audiences build trust and understand that robots are safe.”

Booster Robotics provided the hardware for all four university teams, while each school’s research team developed and embedded their own algorithms for perception, decision-making, player formations, and passing strategies—including variables such as speed, force, and direction, according to Cheng.

In the final match, Tsinghua University’s THU Robotics defeated the China Agricultural University’s Mountain Sea team with a score of 5–3 to win the championship.

Wu, a supporter of Tsinghua, celebrated their victory while also praising the competition.

“They (THU) did really well,” he said. “But the Mountain Sea team (of Agricultural University) was also impressive. They brought a lot of surprises.”

China's men have made only one World Cup appearance and have already been knocked out of next years' competition in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

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Record Spanish Wildfires Close Part of Camino de Santiago Route

A forest fire in Ribadavia, Galicia, Spain, 18 August 2025. Multiple blazes continue to affect several provinces in Spain, after burning thousands of hectares across the country. (EPA)
A forest fire in Ribadavia, Galicia, Spain, 18 August 2025. Multiple blazes continue to affect several provinces in Spain, after burning thousands of hectares across the country. (EPA)
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Record Spanish Wildfires Close Part of Camino de Santiago Route

A forest fire in Ribadavia, Galicia, Spain, 18 August 2025. Multiple blazes continue to affect several provinces in Spain, after burning thousands of hectares across the country. (EPA)
A forest fire in Ribadavia, Galicia, Spain, 18 August 2025. Multiple blazes continue to affect several provinces in Spain, after burning thousands of hectares across the country. (EPA)

Spain's worst wave of wildfires on record spread to the southern slopes of the Picos de Europa mountains on Monday and prompted authorities to close part of the popular Camino de Santiago route.

"This is a fire situation we haven't experienced in 20 years," Defense Minister Margarita Robles told Cadena SER radio.

"The fires have special characteristics as a result of climate change and this huge heat wave," she said.

The heatwave spanning 16 days is the third-longest on record and sent temperatures up to 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) over the weekend, according to state weather agency Aemet. It is expected to start easing on Monday evening or Tuesday.

Southern Europe is experiencing one of its worst wildfire seasons in two decades, with Spain and Portugal among the hardest-hit countries.

So far this year, an estimated 344,400 hectares (851,000 acres) have burned in Spain - an area equivalent to the size of the island of Mallorca - according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).

It's the largest area on records that goes back to 2006 and more than four times the 2006-2024 average.

A firefighter died when his truck crashed near the village of Espinoso de Compludo, raising the death toll to four from the recent wave of fires.

In Portugal, wildfires have burned about 216,200 hectares so far this year, according to EFFIS - more than four times the 2006-2024 average for this period - and two people have died.

The Spanish army has deployed 3,000 troops and 50 aircraft to help firefighters, emergency services general director Virginia Barcones said. Spain is also receiving or has been offered help from France, Italy, Netherlands, Slovakia, Germany and the Czech Republic through the European Civil Protection mechanism, according to the Interior Ministry.

In the past week alone, about 20 wildfires have devastated thousands of hectares in the regions of Galicia and Castile and Leon, forcing authorities to cut rail services in the area, as well as a 50-km (30-mile) stretch of the Camino de Santiago, an ancient pilgrimage path trodden by thousands in the summer.

It links France and the city of Santiago de Compostela on the western tip of Spain.

Leaders of regions run by the main opposition People's Party (PP) have criticized the central government for poor planning and asked for more resources to fight the wildfires.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Sunday urged a "state pact" on climate change with all main political forces, which was dismissed as a "diversion" by PP spokesperson Ester Munoz on Monday.

The Interior ministry said 27 people have been arrested and 92 were under investigation for suspected arson since June.

In Palacios de Jamuz in the northern region of Castile and Leon, where a wildfire had burned down whole rows of houses, Delia Lobato was inspecting the damage and lamented the deaths of people and trees.

"Such young people who had their whole lives ahead and who are gone, that's the hardest thing," she said.

"We will plant again, and if I don't see it grow well my children will."