RoboCup 2026 hosts first 11-a-side humanoid robot football match

RoboCup 2026 made history: two teams of eleven humanoid robots took to the football field in full force for the first time. The match pitted B-Human from Bremen against HTWK Robots from Leipzig, both sides using machines from Booster Robotics.

Goal set in 1997

Back in 1997, the founders of RoboCup set an ambitious goal: by 2050, assemble a team of autonomous robots capable of beating human world champions. Since then, progress has been obvious, and this match was another step towards that ambition.

Federation President's assessment

“This game shows how far humanoid robotics have come,” said Ubbo Visser, President of the RoboCup Federation. “We’ve already seen the rise of teamwork and advanced skills over the years, but the new hardware, coupled with the new level of intelligence that AI brings, takes humanoid robot football to a whole new level.”