Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2026-09-04 Origin: Site
Drone soccer has rapidly emerged as the world’s first official aerial team sport fully recognized by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). The FAI Drone Soccer International Series serves as the official global competition circuit designed to establish standardized world rankings for national drone soccer teams worldwide. Governed by CIAM and FAI sporting codes, this international tournament series unifies competition rules, player qualifications, and point systems across all official international drone soccer events.
According to CIAM General Rules, the FAI International Series consists of official Category 2 international competitions aimed at building reliable global rankings for national drone soccer teams. All sanctioned tournaments strictly follow the latest edition of the FAI Sporting Code Volume F9 for Drone Sports.
All official matches in the 2026 season adopt a 3v3 team format under the F9A‑B subclass, the standard competition class for international drone soccer tournaments.
To ensure tournament stability and competitive balance, event organizers are allowed to fill empty bracket slots with local guest teams, up to a maximum of 16 teams per event. This rule improves event logistics, enhances financial feasibility, and maintains complete match structures for official ranking allocation.
FAI drone soccer is a national representative team sport with clear participation regulations:
Each country may register two official national teams (e.g., USA 1, USA 2) for the annual international series.
A single player cannot be registered in two different national teams within the same competition year.
All athletes must meet FAI nationality or residency requirements to represent their registered country.
All pilots and team managers must hold a valid FAI Sporting License issued by their national aeromodelling authority (NAC). A FAI Drone Permission document is also acceptable for eligible local residents or citizens, supporting participation in newly developed drone soccer regions.
FAI defines two official drone soccer subclasses for different competition levels and venue sizes:
F9A‑A: 40 cm drone ball, played inside a 6m × 12m netted arena
F9A‑B: 20 cm drone ball, played inside a compact 3m × 6m indoor arena
All 2026 FAI International Series tournaments follow the F9A‑B standard, the most popular and internationally recognized drone soccer competition specification.
FAI drone soccer is a full‑contact aerial team sport combining precise drone control, real‑time strategy, and team coordination. Each team designates one marked striker drone responsible for scoring, while other pilots perform defensive and supportive roles.
Every official match consists of three 3‑minute sets. All competing drones feature protective spherical cages and colorful LED lighting, allowing clear team identification for players, referees, and spectators. The full protective structure enables safe mid‑air collisions, making drone soccer a dynamic, high‑tolerance competitive sport.
Global rankings are calculated based on accumulated points from all 2026 FAI sanctioned international events.
Rank | Team | Total Points |
|---|---|---|
1 | Germany 1 | 20 |
2 | Turkiye 1 | 20 |
3 | Germany 2 | 15 |
4 | USA 2 | 14 |
5 | USA 1 | 13 |
6 | Turkiye 2 | 10 |
7 | Belgium 1 | 8 |
8 | France 1 | 6 |
9 | France 2 | 6 |
10 | Belgium 2 | 5 |
11 | Hong Kong 1 / Hong Kong 2 | 4 |
13 | Belgium 3 | 2 |
1st Place: Turkiye 1 – 10 points
2nd Place: Germany 1 – 9 points
3rd Place: Turkiye 2 – 7 points
4th Place: Germany 2 – 6 points
5th Place: Bulgaria 1 – 1 point
The Paris FAI Category 2 open competition gathered top European and American teams, contributing official ranking points to the 2026 global drone soccer standings.
The following tournaments are officially sanctioned by FAI and count toward the 2026 world rankings:
Australia Drone Soccer International Cup – Sydney, Australia (August 1–2)
FAI Hong Kong Open Drone Soccer Championship – Hong Kong, China (August 22–23)
Istanbul Drone Soccer International Cup – Istanbul, Turkiye (September 17–19)
Drone ARENA Soccer Cup 2026 – Sofia, Bulgaria (October 6–9, held during Inter Drone Expo)
Long Beach International Drone Soccer Cup – California, USA (October 17–18)
As an official FAI aerial sport, drone soccer combines high‑precision drone piloting, tactical teamwork, and immersive sports entertainment. It is widely adopted in STEM education, youth training programs, and international sports events worldwide.
FAI standardization ensures unified equipment specifications, fair judging rules, and credible global rankings. For schools, sports clubs, event organizers, and drone equipment suppliers, the FAI Drone Soccer International Series represents the most authoritative global benchmark for professional drone soccer development.
