Chelsea win FIFA Club World Cup after extra-time win over Palmeiras

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Are Chelsea deserving champions of the Club World Cup?

Janusz Michallik and Kay Murray react to Chelsea's 2-1 win after extra time vs. Palmeiras in the Club World Cup final.

Updated: May 17, 2023, 04:59 am

Chelsea won the FIFA Club World Cup after securing a 2-1 victory over Palmeiras after extra-time at Abu Dhabi's Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium on Saturday.

Kai Havertz scored a penalty in the 117th minute as the Premier League giants won the competition for the first time in the club's history.

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In a tight affair, Romelu Lukaku opened the scoring in the second-half but the Brazilian side pegged them back through a Raphael Veiga penalty.

However, Havertz -- who also grabbed the winning goal in last season's Champions League final -- stepped up with a late penalty as Thomas Tuchel picked up his third trophy since taking charge of Chelsea in January 2021.

Chelsea have now won every major club trophy since Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich took control in 2003.

"It never stops. We want to keep on winning trophies," Tuchel said in a pitch-side interview before his team were given their medals by FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

Chelsea players enjoying becoming world champions after tense final.
Getty

"In the end if you score late you need luck to do it but we were relentless and we did not stop trying."

Both sides failed to create many clear-cut opportunities in the first half and Chelsea suffered a massive blow when Mason Mount was brought off after 29 minutes with an injury.

The game came to life after 54 minutes when Callum Hudson-Odoi produced a fine cross which was converted from Lukaku with a clinical header.

However, Palmeiras were awarded a penalty 10 minutes later after VAR adjudged Thiago Silva to have handled the ball from a corner.

Veiga stepped up and converted the spot kick to equalise for the Brazilians as the game pettered out into extra time.

As the match looked set for a penalty shootout, Chelsea were awarded a penalty after VAR adjudged Luan Garcia to have blocked Cesar Azpilicueta's strike with his hand.

Havertz converted the penalty with ease and Palmeiras's misery was complete when Luan was sent off in stoppage time for a desperate tackle on the German forward.

Meanwhile, Egyptian side Al Ahly won the third-placed playoff, beating Al Hilal 4-0.

Information from Reuters was included in this report.