(MENAFN) Humanoid robots powered by artificial intelligence played the world’s first fully autonomous 5v5 soccer match during the preliminary rounds of the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, according to reports.

Earlier competitions had only featured 3v3 games. In this new format, teams included two forwards, two defenders, and a goalkeeper. The robots automatically positioned themselves at kickoff and proceeded to tackle, pass, and shoot without any human intervention.

Some robots fell during collisions but quickly regained balance and continued playing, while spectators cheered every goal. The match lasted 40 minutes, divided into two 15-minute halves with a 10-minute halftime.

The tournament’s nearly 70-page rulebook mirrors human soccer but allows more physical contact and incorporates robot-specific adjustments. For instance, after a free kick, opposing robots must wait 10 seconds before engaging to give AI systems time to complete the play.

The World Humanoid Robot Games opened Thursday in Beijing and will run for three days, featuring over 500 robots from 280 teams across 16 countries. In total, 538 events are scheduled across 26 sports, including soccer, athletics, and gymnastics.

The event follows China’s first AI robot soccer match on June 27, which involved 3v3 teams in Beijing.

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