Jakob Brilla World Champion with Aerial Ball

“There are games that open up your whole potential like a key.” With these words, federal trainer André Henning enthused about newcomer Jakob Brilla, after the first Hockey World Cup match in August this year. The 22-year-old had shot the winning goal in the second World Cup game, against host and title favorite Belgium – with a perfectly performed penalty corner goal that left the Belgian defense no chance. It was the first time the Heidelberg student had played at such a high international level.

In spite of this successful development, getting into the men’s national team was not an easy ride. After his time on the U21 team had ended, it was not clear at first how things would proceed from there. Brilla was invited to courses and training camps but had to be patient. An injury of the experienced penalty scorer Gonzalo Peillat finally opened up an important chance for him. And Jakob used it. In summer 2025, he made his debut with the men’s national team at the Pro League in London. Since winter he has been a firm member of the team.

Penalty shooting is one of the 22-year-old’s great strengths. The standard situation is a mixture of a penalty and a free hit. After a serious foul in the opponent’s quarter or a rule violation in the striking circle, the attacking team has the chance to shoot the ball directly into the goal. Jakob likes doing this with a sharp aerial ball. Furthermore, with his height of over six feet he is one of the taller players on the hockey pitch. That is an advantage for him in the defensive zone. There he uses his physical presence, wards off opposing players and brings his team-mates into play with precise passes. 

Jakob Brilla has never considered playing individual sports. “It has always been most important for me to do things together: lose together and win together, sharing emotions.” The team combines different characters who have to forge themselves into a unit. The student wants to play his part in this. “You can only realize your full potential if you feel on top of things, well cared for and integrated.” He is convinced of that.

His daily schedule is packed with carefully timed activities. He has six training units a week, then one or two matches on the weekend. His schedule includes training in athletics, strength-training and practicing as a team. And then there is his university course. No time is left to fit in any more hobbies. Close contact with his family is all the more important to him – his three sisters and parents – and his friends, “also those who have nothing to do with hockey”. He has known some of them since his early youth and many have stayed close friends to this day.

At Heidelberg University, Jakob Brilla studies sports sciences and psychology and is currently working on his bachelor thesis. Originally, he wanted to go on to do a master’s in sports sciences. Meanwhile he has become so keen on psychology that he would like to concentrate entirely on this subject in future. To do so, however, he will leave Heidelberg and transfer to the University of Cologne. Not the least of his reasons for that are sports-related. That is because, at the same time he will change to Rot-Weiß Köln, in which several other players from the German team train. “At TSV Mannheim I was the only national player, in Cologne there are eight of us.”

Jakob Brilla finds the year 2026 has whizzed by: in only a few months, the World Cup, bachelor thesis and decision to change cities and clubs followed one another in rapid succession. “I’ve had to rush from one to another.” If 2027 is calmer he doesn’t know how he will put up with it, he says with a smile. At the same time, he is looking forward to getting back to normal a bit now – and to working quietly through the past months. Perhaps, says Jakob, in a few years’ time he will have had enough of hockey. “Because I will have had so much to do with sport.” At present, however, there is little indication of that happening. The next penalty corner is already waiting.