KB News Desk
While the world’s eyes are on Lionel Messi at the FIFA World Cup, another soccer tournament unfolds in Incheon — with robot players.
RoboCup 2026 kicked off Thursday in Incheon’s Songdo Convensia, showcasing a wide range of artificial intelligence robots capable of performing complicated tasks such as soccer and household chores.
Often referred to as the “World Cup of Robotics,” RoboCup has been held annually since its first event in Nagoya, Japan, in 1997.
Thousands of competitors bring robots and artificial intelligence to compete and showcase their latest developments.
The event is being held in South Korea for the first time this year, according to RoboCup. RoboCup spans five days starting Thursday, and is expected to bring together 2,879 players from 364 teams and 45 countries.
Scheduled events include soccer, household chores, industrial automations, rescue tasks and junior leagues.
RoboCup especially gained popularity after the humanoid soccer league was added in 2002, this year’s soccer venue was reportedly the most popular one as well.
Other robots were seen performing meticulous tasks, such as logistics or rescue operations.
“The event will exhibit Incheon’s status as a global robotics hub and frontier in future industries,” said Park Chan-dae, the Mayor of Incheon.
