The closest memory football fans have of robots is likely Peter Crouch’s celebrations back in the early 2000s.
However, there is a new individual tying up their laces and stepping on the pitch.
Meet ARTEMIS a 4ft8, 38kg robot developed at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) by mechanical engineers.
The robot has been built to kick a ball, run, withstand being hit by objects and stay standing when kicked or shoved - already better than some Premier League players.
Dennis Hong, one of the lead developers of ARTEMIS at UCLA, claimed that creating footballer robots could help with developing machines for more serious uses like firefighting or disaster relief.
"If your robot cannot even play a game of soccer, how would you be able to use these robots for more important things, such as saving people's lives?" Hong asked.
ARTEMIS, which stands for Advanced Robotic Technology for Enhanced Mobility and Improved Stability, is expected to showcase his skills at the RoboCup in France in July.
One of the biggest innovations in creating ARTEMIS has been making its actuators-devices, used for generating motion, perform in a similar way to biological muscles.
This allows the robot to move in a springier and more fluid fashion, rather than the rigid movements typically associated with most humanoid machines.
Whilst it is yet another significant step in robotics, it still may be some years before ARTEMIS is scoring hat-tricks in the World Cup.