2026 World Humanoid Robot Games: A Brave New World for Sport, Technology and Regulation

Introduction

Robots competing for medals may once have belonged firmly in the realms of science fiction. Not anymore. The 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games (the “Games”), which took place in Beijing from 22-26 August, assembled some of the world’s most advanced humanoid machines in a competition designed to test speed, strength, dexterity, dexterity and intelligence.

By bringing together cutting-edge robots to run, jump, fight, play football and perform increasingly complex tasks, the recent Games have moved beyond being a robotics demonstration into something resembling an actual international multi-sport competition. Sport has always evolved alongside technology, but the relationship has moved into unfamiliar territory.

Innovation on this scale rarely arrives without legal complexity. Rules built around human competitors do not translate neatly to “athletes” comprising algorithms, sensors and steel. As outlined below, this raises a number of novel questions about responsibility, safety, eligibility, competitive fairness, cybersecurity, governance and the classification of “sport”. The Games therefore offer more than a glimpse of the future of robotics: they provide an early test of whether the law and regulatory framework can keep pace.

Multi-club ownership (Part III): Football spotlight – MCO types, trends and compliance

By Henry Goldschmidt on September 14, 2026 Posted in FIFA, Football, Funding, Governance, Law, Rules and regulations, UEFA

Multi-club ownership (MCO) has become one of the defining trends in modern football, whereby clubs have been transformed into an interconnected asset class. This has been driven by a combination of the commercialisation and globalisation of the game, US private capital and institutional investment, and the perceived economic and sporting benefits of owning clubs as a portfolio rather than as standalone assets.

In the third and final part in the series, Multi-club ownership (Part III): Football spotlight: MCO types, trends and compliance, Henry Goldschmidt explores the different models of MCO groups, the role of private equity, the rise of minority investments, and the key regulatory challenges facing investors and clubs. The article provides valuable insight into the opportunities, risks and future direction of multi-club investment in football, particularly given the strict (and fluid) regulatory regime that has emerged.

Readers interested in the business, governance and commercial evolution of sport will find this series, including Part I: The Rise and Regulation of Sport’s Portfolio Era and Part II: Rugby union, cricket, motorsport and beyond, an essential guide.

Multi-club ownership (Part II): Rugby union, cricket, motorsport and beyond

By Henry Goldschmidt on August 10, 2026 Posted in Cricket, Rugby, Rules and regulations

Multi-club ownership (MCO) has become a significant trend across global sport as investors seek to create value through shared resources, commercial synergies, talent pathways, and diversified portfolios. While football has been the most visible example of MCO, the article highlights how similar ownership models have gained traction in rugby union, cricket, and motorsport.

In rugby union, recent acquisitions of Prem clubs by Black Knight and Red Bull demonstrate how investors are expanding established sports portfolios into rugby through vertical integration. Rugby’s regulatory framework regarding MCO is less developed (and stringent) than football. The former has not been tested in earnest since 2017, when Premiership Rugby (as it was then) rejected attempts by Mohed Altrad, owner of French club Montpellier Hérault Rugby, to acquire a majority stake in Gloucester Rugby.

Cricket has emerged as one of the clearest examples of horizontal investment, particularly through Indian Premier League owners acquiring teams across white ball competitions in South Africa, the UAE, the Caribbean, the United States, and (most recently) The Hundred in England and Wales. While ownership structures are currently largely unrestricted, proposals for a World Club T20 may prompt the ICC to consider direct regulation if connected franchises have the potential to qualify/compete in the same global competition.

In motorsport, ownership models range from cross-series portfolios, such as TWG Motorsports’ holdings across multiple racing championships, to dual-team ownership within Formula One, such as Red Bull Gmbh’s ownership of both Red Bull Racing and sister team Racing Bulls for two decades. Regulators continue to grapple with, on one hand, a desire to protect competitive balance with sporting integrity and, on the other, ensuring over-regulation does not stifle investment and innovation.

Looking ahead, author Henry Goldschmidt identifies opportunities that may lie in new or emerging sports, competitions and territories. These may offer investors first-mover advantages, particularly when incorporated into broader, diversified sports investment portfolios.

Whether you’re involved in sports, private equity, governance, or investment strategy, head over to our website to read the full article. It is a valuable read on the opportunities and regulatory challenges shaping the future of global sport.

Beyond the Final Whistle at the FIFA World Cup: The Growing Crisis of Social Media Abuse in Professional Sport

By Wayne Barnes, Mariyam Harunah and Peter Lees on July 27, 2026 Posted in Discrimination, Governance, Social Media, Technology

The 2026 FIFA World Cup may have been the biggest ever staged, with 48 teams taking part – but it has also contributed to a staggering rise in online abuse. The high-profile racist attack on Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappé by a Paraguayan senator is just the tip of the iceberg.

On 1 July 2026, FIFA reported that its Social Media Protection Service had identified 89,000 abusive social media posts during the group stage alone. Around 11% of all detected abuse was racially motivated. FIFA also stated that approximately 1,000 accounts had been escalated for further investigation and that more than 100 cases potentially met legal thresholds for action. This represents a 13-fold increase compared with the equivalent stage of the 2022 World Cup,

Professional sport has always attracted passionate debate, criticism, and emotional reactions. But the rise of social media, combined with a growing wave of angry bettors, has fundamentally changed the relationship between athletes and the public.

What was once confined to stadiums, television studios and newspaper columns can now be delivered directly to a player’s phone within seconds of a match ending. Increasingly, that criticism crosses a line into unacceptable and often criminal abuse.

A recent BBC investigation highlighted the scale of the problem in the UK, finding that more than 2,000 extremely abusive social media posts were directed at Premier League and Women’s Super League players and managers during a single weekend of football. The posts included racist abuse, death threats, rape threats and other forms of hate speech.

International Transfer Agreements: Considerations for non-payment of a transfer fee

By Andrew Bennett on July 21, 2026 Posted in CAS, Dispute Resolution, FIFA, Football, Governance, Law, Player contracts, Rules and regulations, Transfers

With the Summer 2026 transfer market now open in Europe, clubs will be conducting international transfers of player registrations.

Most attention will be focussed on the commercial terms: the guaranteed payments, the instalment split, the contingent payments and the effect on new financial control rules within European or domestic leagues.

What happens though when a club fails to pay in time? Parties are able to agree an appropriate jurisdiction and the FIFA RSTP provide regulatory support to the selling club. There are, however, some clauses that may not receive the attention they deserve, that would support the selling club in the event of non-payment.

In this article, we outline some such clauses that clubs should keep in mind.

The French Experimental Framework for Games with Monetisable Digital Objects (so-called JONUM)

By Stéphanie Faber and Manel Benladghem on May 28, 2026 Posted in Blockchain, France, Gambling, Gaming

This post was originally published by our sister publication Global IP & Technology Law Blog on 27 May 2026.

French Decree No. 2026-60 of 4 February 2026, which entered into force on 7 February 2026, has finally enabled the experimental launch of a new category of online game provided for in Articles 40 and 41 of the 2024 SREN Law (Securing and Regulating the Digital Space). These games are referred to as “Games with Monetisable Digital Objects”. In France, they are best known under their acronym “JONUM” (which stands for, “Jeux à Objets Numériques Monétisables”) and the relevant rewards, the Monetisable Digital Objects, are referred to in French as “ONUM” (which stands for “Objets Numériques Monétisables “). This new regulatory framework responds to the emergence of online gaming models incorporating blockchain technologies and tradable digital assets.

This approach highlights the ambivalence of the phenomenon. On the one hand, Games with Monetisable Digital Objects fall within the video game universe: they rely on a logic of progression, interaction, and gaming experience. On the other hand, they borrow certain fundamental mechanisms from gambling, particularly randomness and the expectation of gain.

This framework establishes a distinct regime based on a balance between player protection and support for innovation.

Sports Regulatory Disputes: Where are we and where are we going?

By Squire Patton Boggs on May 6, 2026 Posted in Dispute Resolution, Law, Litigation, Rules and regulations, UK

As part of London International Disputes Week 2026 (LIDW), we are proud to host a panel session which will reprise developments in the sports regulatory environment across football, rugby, tennis and other sports. Our industry experts will examine recent high-profile disputes, such as Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) cases in the Premier League, the Super League, R360 in rugby and anti-doping cases in tennis; and then project forward how this landscape will evolve in the coming years. We have assembled an expert panel which will be followed by questions under the Chatham House Rule.

Women’s Sport Symposium 2026: Key Takeaways

By Lucy Webster, Katie Smith and Olivia Canessa Davies on March 26, 2026 Posted in Athletics, Broadcasting, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI), Funding, Governance, Media Rights, Motor Racing, Olympics, Paralympics, Team GB, UK, Women in Sport

Squire Patton Boggs’ Women’s Sport Group hosted its third annual Women’s Sport Symposium on 18 March 2026, in London.

Senior stakeholders and decision-makers from across the sporting landscape came together to drive meaningful dialogue on what’s next for women’s sport, all united in the determination to accelerate progress and sustain the extraordinary momentum achieved to date.

Across five dynamic panels, one thought‑provoking keynote and a special Q&A with a Commonwealth, World and Olympic champion, attendees heard from trailblazers shaping the industry today and redefining its future.

We will be unpacking each panel in more detail soon. In the meantime, here are the key takeaways from the day.

Driving Impact Through Women’s Sport Trust’s Unlocked Programme

By Lucy Webster, Katie Smith and Olivia Canessa Davies on March 10, 2026 Posted in Athletics, UK, Women in Sport

We are proud to support Women’s Sport Trust and the impactful work taking place through its flagship Unlocked programme. Unlocked brings together elite female athletes from across the sporting spectrum, providing professional development, networking opportunities and visibility to accelerate their impact. It is a powerful example of how dedicated support can amplify female athlete voices, expand influence and contribute to a stronger, more equitable sporting landscape.

The programme is designed around a simple but powerful principle: athletes are uniquely positioned to influence progress, both within their sport and far beyond it. By providing access to strategic insight, tailored development opportunities and a cross-sport network of experienced professionals, Unlocked enables athletes to strengthen their leadership capabilities, build confidence and develop the professional skills needed to influence the areas that matter most to them.

Copyright on Ice: The Intellectual Property Issues that Put the Milano-Cortina Olympic Figure Skating into Flutz

By Squire Patton Boggs on February 27, 2026 Posted in Intellectual Property, IP Litigation, Olympics, Paralympics, Rules and regulations, Skating

The Winter Olympics certainly generated its fair share of headline-grabbing stories over the last few weeks. In the figure skating, one of those stories was that surrounding Spanish skater, Tomas-Llorenc Guarino Sabate, and his now famed Minions-inspired routine.

As well as capturing the imagination of many fans with his yellow T-shirt and blue overalls costume, evoking the outfits worn by the distinctive pill-shaped creatures from the Despicable Me franchise, Sabate found himself at the centre of a copyright clearance issue for the “Universal Fanfare” track that he planned to incorporate into his routine.

Sabate, however, was not the only figure skater to face such issues at the Milano-Cortina Games, with several others also encountering copyright clearance hurdles affecting their preferred choice of music.

This article examines the intellectual property considerations underpinning these matters and why they ultimately reached varying conclusions. It also discusses the key considerations that must be borne in mind when considering the use of creative works owned by another, especially at one of the most-watched global sporting events.

For further on the broader legal talking points and challenges impacting the XXV Winter Olympic Games, please see my colleague Henry Goldschmidt’s Sports Shorts article: High stakes: Traversing the legal terrain of Milano Cortina 2026™.