Germany brings the Field Hockey World Cup home – with KLU on the team
Germany are world champions once again. The German men’s national field hockey team successfully defended its FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup title on August 30th, with a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Spain in the final in Wavre, Belgium. KLU was represented in the national team through two athletes: KLU alumnus Benedikt “Bene” Schwarzhaupt (BSc in Business Administration, class of 2022) and KLU student of the MSc in International Management, Justus Weigand. For Weigand, who was already part of Germany’s title-winning squad in 2023, the victory marks a second World Cup crown.
A tough road to the title
Germany entered the tournament as defending champions and made a strong start, beating Malaysia 5–1 and hosts Belgium 1–0 before a late French equalizer resulted in a 1–1 draw. The second stage brought an early preview of the eventual final, with Spain handing Germany a 2–1 defeat. The team responded by coming from behind to beat Australia 4–2 and secure a place in the semifinals.
There, Germany faced Argentina in a tightly contested match. Justus Weigand opened the scoring in the 33rd minute and later helped create the winning goal in the 2–1 victory, earning Player of the Match honors. In the final against Spain, chances were hard to come by until Michel Struthoff broke the deadlock late in the third quarter. Germany protected the narrow 1–0 lead to the final whistle, securing the country’s fourth men’s World Cup title. “The last 10 minutes felt like an hour”, declared Weigand after the game. He finished the tournament with four goals, while Schwarzhaupt featured in all seven of Germany’s matches. Both contributed to the team achieving the final win and to keeping Germany’s crown in field hockey for the next few years.
“I'm still completely speechless. I can't believe it at all; I'm overjoyed. To become world champion twice in a row is more than I would've ever dreamed”, said Justus Weigand.
Supporting excellence on and off the field
The World Cup success is another example of the level at which KLU’s student-athletes and alumni compete. As a partner university of high-performance sport, KLU supports elite athletes in combining demanding sporting careers with their academic development through scholarships, individual support, and flexible study and examination arrangements. This approach reflects KLU’s student-centered and real-world-focused values: enabling individuals to pursue ambitious goals while developing the resilience, responsibility, and decision-making skills needed beyond sport.
