It’s 2050 and the FIFA world cup champions are taking the field to compete against the FIRA champions... FIRA? Yip, you heard me, it stands for the Federation of International Robosoccer Association. And I wasn’t joking about 2050. The organizers predict it to be the year of the big human vs. robot soccer showdown.

Source: www.smh.com.au

The Robocup was first hosted by France in 1997 and this year saw the 12th Robocup held in San Francisco between 14 and 17 June.

400 robot teams from 36 countries dribbled, tackled and took shots in an effort to become world champions. They competed in 11 leagues including those designed for humanoid and four-legged robots.

Even the live commentary was provided by a robot duo called Sango and Ami. They have different personalities – Sango provided a very sober account of the game, whilst Ami swept up the crowd with an emotional rendition.

Let’s hope Thierry Henry and David Beckham’s grand children inherit their soccer genes. We’re going to need them!

• Get the lowdown on all the action you’ve been missing. Visit FIRA
• Or visit the official Robocup site
• Who are the teams?