Kai Havertz of Chelsea has scored the winning goals in both the Champions League and Club World Cup finals, surpassing Lionel Messi’s 11-year record.
Chelsea’s Kai Havertz was the hero on Saturday evening, scoring the game-winning penalty as Thomas Tuchel’s team upset Palmeiras in the Club World Cup final.
For the duration of an attritional tie, the South American champions had cancelled out the Blues, with Raphael Veiga’s penalty for the Brazilian side canceling out Romelu Lukaku’s opener.
In the 117th minute of the final, which had gone into extra time and was three minutes away from a spot shootout, Havertz scored the game-winning penalty kick.
Cesar Azpilicueta’s shot hit the arm of defender Luan Garcia, who was sent off three minutes later for pulling down Havertz, who was in the box.
It was another pivotal occasion for the German playmaker, who had scored the game’s only goal in the Champions League final victory over Manchester City last May.
Despite only scoring six goals in the Premier League in 43 games, Havertz is developing into a key member for Tuchel’s team.
Havertz joined the club from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2020 in a deal for over £72 million. He has already made a number of crucial contributions for the team.
WATCH VIDEO BELOW:
None were more important than his game-winning goal in the Champions League final last season, but his penalty-kick against Palmeiras on Saturday shattered an 11-year record held by Lionel Messi.
Back in 2011, the Argentine great was the last player to score in the Champions League and subsequent Club World Cup finals.
Messi scored in that year’s Champions League final, earning Man of the Match honors as Pep Guardiola’s side overcame Manchester United 3-1, with Messi, Pedro, and David Villa on the scoresheet.
Messi would go on to score a brace in the ensuing Team World Cup final, a 4-0 thrashing of Brazilian club Santos — a match in which Xavi Hernandez and Cesc Fabregas also scored.
Since Havertz, no other player has scored in both the Champions League and Club World Cup finals in nearly a decade.
The Blues’ victory in the tournament extended European clubs’ dominance in the competition, as they have now won each of the last nine titles and 14 of the last 15.
Indeed, the only team to lose a Champions League title during that run was the Blues, who were beaten by Corinthians of Brazil after winning the competition in 2012.
The Blues have now joined a select group of clubs that includes Juventus, Ajax, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich as the only clubs to have won every major competition.
