Kai Havertz was once again the hero for UEFA Champions League holders Chelsea as they defeated Brazil’s Palmeiras 2-1 to win the FIFA Club World Cup for the first time.
The showpiece was heading for a penalty shoot-out when Chelsea earned a 117th-minute penalty after a handball from defender Luan. Up stepped Havertz – scorer of their 2021 UEFA Champions League winner – and the German made no mistake as the Blues became the eighth different European winners of the competition and the ninth in a row.
Romelu Lukaku opened the scoring for Thomas Tuchel’s side with a header ten minutes into the second half, the Belgian’s second of the tournament having stuck the only goal of the semi-final against Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal. Raphael Veiga soon levelled from the spot, though, and Chelsea struggled to break Palmeiras down until Havertz broke their hearts.
