On the world stage, Team USA competed against highly advanced and well-resourced international programs. The podium was dominated by tournament host China, represented by two elite national teams, and Korea, both backed by well-funded and professional-level support, reflecting the rapidly expanding investment in drone sports across Asia.
 

Despite these disparities, the Sato high school students showcased remarkable engineering skill, strategic flying, and resilience—advancing through multiple rounds of intense aerial competition and securing a top-four global ranking.
 

“We are incredibly proud of how far these students have come,” said Albert Gallo, Coach and engineering teacher at Sato Academy of Math & Science. “Finishing 4th in the world—competing against some of the most well-funded teams on the planet—is an extraordinary accomplishment. Their success shows what young engineers can achieve through creativity, teamwork and determination.”
 

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The inaugural World Drone Soccer Championships took place in Shanghai from Nov 15 to 18. Recognized as a Class A event by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (World Air Sports Federation), the tournament marked Shanghai's return to hosting the highest-level single-discipline FAI event after 31 years.

According to the international rules of the World Air Sports Federation and the U.S. Drone Soccer Association, the winner of the USDSA National Championship assumes the title of Team America, and officially represents our nation globally in international competition.