Kai Havertz netted an extra-time penalty against Palmeiras to earn a 2-1 win and lift the Club World Cup for Chelsea.
Romelu Lukaku had opened scoring in the Abu Dhabi with his 10th goal of the season.
But Palmeiras equalized through Raphael Veiga’s penalty and sent the clash into extra-time at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium.
The otherwise-flawless Thiago Silva was penalised for handball for Veiga’s spot-kick, in a frustrating moment for the 37-year-old Brazil defender against his compatriots.
But Chelsea were rewarded for refusing to tighten up in the extra 30 minutes and duly succeeded where the Blues had failed in Japan in 2012.
Palmeiras defender Luan conceded the spot-kick that allowed Chelsea to seal their victory – and was then sent off with almost the night’s final act, scything down Havertz as he was through on goal.
To add to their status as Champions League and European Super Cup holders, Chelsea are now world champions for the first time.