Every Robotics Competition League in the World and in Iran — Complete 2026 List

"Robotics competitions" is not one thing. It is dozens of independent events, each with its own leagues. A team can dominate Rescue Maze and stand no chance in Soccer Simulation — the two share almost no skills.

This page is the full map: every major competition, every league beneath it, its English and Persian name, and who it is built for. Each row links to a dedicated article on that league.

The four big families

1. RoboCup — the oldest and most prestigious, with the long-term goal of beating the human football world champions with robots by 2050. It splits into Major (university) and Junior (under 19).
2. FIRA — the international robot-soccer federation, focused on humanoid robots and sport-style events, with strong school-age brackets.
3. RoboCup IranOpen — Iran's largest robotics event; it runs the world RoboCup leagues plus its own "free leagues".
4. School-based world programmes — FIRST, VEX, WRO, RoboMaster and similar, built around a changing annual theme.

1) RoboCup leagues

RoboCupJunior — the under-19 branch

This is where a school student actually enters: an age ceiling of 19 and no university lab required.

2) FIRA RoboWorld Cup leagues

3) IranOpen and its free leagues

RoboCup IranOpen adds leagues that do not exist at the world event — and these are where most Iranian students actually start:

4) Other international competitions

Full detail in the international competitions article. Headlines:

• FIRST — four tiers: FLL, FTC, FRC and FIRST Global
• VEX Robotics — VEX IQ, V5, VEX U and VEX AI
• WRO — RoboMission, Future Innovators, Future Engineers
• RoboMaster — engineering-heavy team combat
• ABU Robocon, Eurobot, MATE ROV, Teknofest, sumo and micromouse circuits

Which league for which age?

A realistic entry path

What actually works, based on Novin Zehn Academy's competition teams: one foundation course (robotics or programming) → a simple league at a domestic event → pick a specialism → join a competition team. Jumping straight into a heavy league almost always ends in burnout.

Novin Zehn teams have placed at FIRA Cup Iran, Türkiye and Canada, and run a separate preparation track for each league.

Frequently asked questions

How many robotics leagues are there in total?

Counting only RoboCup and FIRA, roughly 25–30 official leagues. Adding IranOpen free leagues and school programmes such as FIRST and VEX pushes the number past 50.

Which league is easiest to start with?

Line follower and firefighter robot have the lowest barrier. For students who prefer coding, CoSpace and Soccer Simulation are the best hardware-free entry points.

What is the difference between RoboCup and FIRA?

RoboCup is the older, more academic organisation with a separate Junior branch; FIRA focuses on humanoid robots and sport-style events with stronger school-age brackets.

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