On July 5, 2026, RoboCup 2026 came to a successful close at Songdo Convensia in Incheon, Republic of Korea. As the world’s largest comprehensive robotics competition, this year’s event brought together 364 teams from 45 countries and regions. In the highly anticipated Humanoid Soccer Large Size category, Tsinghua Hephaestus, from the Department of Automation at Tsinghua University, delivered an outstanding performance and successfully defended its world championship title.
Highlights from the Final (Tsinghua Hephaestus in Purple Jerseys)
Tsinghua Hephaestus in Action
In the round-robin stage featuring 22 Large Size teams, Tsinghua Hephaestus remained undefeated and ranked first overall. In the Round of 16, the team secured a commanding 9–1 victory over PCMS-HRG from Macao, advancing smoothly to the quarterfinals. Facing Bahia Robotics Team from Brazil, Hephaestus claimed an 8–0 clean-sheet victory and earned a place in the semifinals. In the semifinal against Water from Beijing Information Science & Technology University, the team once again demonstrated strong offensive and defensive capabilities, winning 5–0 and securing its spot in the final.
In the final, Tsinghua Hephaestus once again faced its long-time rival, Shanhai Team from China Agricultural University. The first half was a closely contested battle, with the two sides tied at 1–1. After the break, however, Hephaestus took full control of the match, scoring five consecutive goals in the second half. With a final score of 6–2, the team defeated its opponent and successfully defended the RoboCup 2026 Humanoid Soccer Large Size championship, showcasing the depth, resilience and competitive strength of a world-class team.
Tsinghua Hephaestus with the runner-up and third-place teams in the Large Size category
Founded in 2004 by Research Professor Zhao Mingguo of the Department of Automation at Tsinghua University, Tsinghua Hephaestus is one of the earliest teams in China dedicated to RoboCup humanoid soccer. In 2025, the team won multiple international honors, including the RoboCup Humanoid League championship and the championship title of the world’s first 5v5 humanoid robot soccer competition during the World Humanoid Robot Games, marking a historic breakthrough for Chinese teams.
The victory in Incheon represents not only a successful defense of last year’s title, but also a clear testament to Tsinghua Hephaestus’ leading position on the global stage of humanoid robot soccer. Looking ahead, the team will continue to advance research and innovation in humanoid robotics, contributing Tsinghua’s strength to the development of intelligent robotics and embodied intelligence.
Group photo of Tsinghua Hephaestus
