Chinese robot player kicks a ball against a wall

Video posted above People’s Daily recorded the scene of T1 running and taking a shot with great force, causing the wall to cave in. This is part of a training session for humanoid robots to play 5v5 soccer matches conducted by Booster Robotics in conjunction with Tsinghua University last weekend.

The machine’s soccer skills are not limited to kicking. They also chase, dribble, pass the ball and easily get up after falling. The developer says T1 plays itself without needing a remote control. They use AI to make decisions on the field in real time. Through intensive training and learning from previous human movement data, the robot will form “muscle memory” allowing it to pass, tackle and shoot accurately. The goal is to test how quickly AI can adapt to complex physical environments.

As noted by NY Post, After some platforms like Reddit, Facebook, Instagram or X reposted it, the video quickly received mixed opinions.

“This guy doesn’t hold back at all. Is this football?”, account X Life ask questions.

“I don’t dare to be a goalkeeper,” said the account Xiong funny comment.

Some worry that robots could be used for evil purposes. “If someone hacks a robot and makes it kick someone in the head they hate, then we are ready for dark degeneration/evolution,” Reddit account Nunki08 write.

The comments also recalled the incident where Unitree’s G1 robot accidentally kicked a boy onlooker in the stomach while performing in front of a crowd in Xinjiang last week. “What will happen if a robot kicks the ball in an uncontrolled environment? It’s scary,” Facebook account Dogan Ural speak.

The previous incident of kicking young spectators also made some experts worried. “It is no longer a joke, instead it should be considered a dangerous system error,” Associate Professor. Dr. Roman Yampolskiy of the University of Louisville told NYPost. “A small malfunction with a dancing robot is just embarrassing, but a major malfunction when operating them in secure environments, delivery systems, autonomous platforms, medical assistants or industrial machinery can injure people, damage property or cause chain failures.”

Booster T1 is a small humanoid robot, 1.2 meters tall and weighing less than 32 kg, equipped with force control sensors from head to toe to help maximize ability on the field. This robot last year won RoboCup 2025 – an all-robot soccer tournament – held in Brazil. The tournament continues to kick off in Korea later this year.

Previously, the Atlas robot from Boston Dynamics (USA) also showed off its skillful soccer skills. Performing soccer exercises aims to enhance balance, coordination and movement control.