Humanoid robots face off in football qualifier ahead of inaugural world games

China

Humanoid robots face off in football qualifier ahead of inaugural world games

2025-08-11 21:05 Last Updated At：22:07

A qualifying 3 versus 3 football match featuring humanoid robots kicked off in Beijing on Monday, serving as a prelude to the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games, which is scheduled to open on Thursday.

Six competing robots took to the indoor field for the match, their teams differentiated by their red and blue vests. With their movements powered by AI, the humanoid athletes coordinated attacks and defenses, demonstrating solid skills in scoring and blocking.

Zhao Wenjin, a member of a team responsible for developing and operating the robots, said recent years have witnessed leapfrog advances in research and development of humanoid robotics, and the results have shone through on the pitch.

"We went neck and neck with our opponents at the match, as both sides couldn't outplay each other easily. Our focus was on teamwork between multiple robots. Several years ago, we needed someone to follow behind to ensure the safety of robots, but now you can see all robots can compete fully autonomously," Zhao said.

The qualifying tournament follows a round-robin format, with matches played simultaneously on three fields. A total of 26 teams, representing universities, companies, and overseas participants, are competing. The preliminaries will run for two days, with the finals scheduled for Friday.

Featuring 280 teams from 16 countries and regions including China, the United States and Germany, the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games will bring together more than 500 humanoid robots, representing over 100 models from top global manufacturers.

The event will run through Aug 17 with 26 at Beijing's iconic National Speed Skating Oval, also known as the "Ice Ribbon", with competitions across three major categories: competitive events, demonstrations and scenario-based challenges, testing the robots' agility, decision-making, and technical capabilities in both sports and real-world applications.

UNGA President warns global multilateral system "under attack"

The multilateral system is "under attack" amid global turmoil, President of the 80th UN General Assembly Annalena Baerbock warned in her remarks on Wednesday.

In her briefing on the priorities for the resumed 80th Session of the General Assembly, the UNGA president noted that the current multilateral system does not collapse all in a sudden, but "crumbles piece by piece" in divisions, compromises, and lack of political commitment.

The president called all the UN member states to defend the UN Charter and international law and promote cross-regional cooperation.

She also urged to push forward the work of the UNGA on certain critical issues with a strong majority, rather than an absolute consensus among all member states. Such act is not a failure of multilateralism, but "an affirmation of it," she said.

The foundational principles of the institution should not be eroded by appeasement, she said, calling the member states to show courage, leadership, and responsibility at the UN's "critical make-or-break moment."

"The UN needs you. Your support, your leadership, your principle, stand, your cross-regional cooperation, if we are to preserve and modernize this institution, if we are to make it, rather than break it," she said.