# 2023 World Snooker Championship
The 2023 [World Snooker Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/world-snooker-championship) was a professional ranking tournament won by Belgium's Luca Brecel, who defeated [Mark Selby](https://www.edgepedia.org/mark-selby) 18-15 in the final at the [Crucible Theatre](https://www.edgepedia.org/crucible-theatre) in Sheffield to become the first player from mainland Europe to claim snooker's world title.[1](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/65450133) The tournament, held in April and May 2023, was decided over a best-of-35-frame final that finished 15-18 in Brecel's favor.[2](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/snooker/62996225)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Champion | Luca Brecel (Belgium), beating Mark Selby 18-15 in the final[1](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/65450133) |
| Historic first | First world champion from mainland Europe[1](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/65450133) |
| Runner-up's record | Mark Selby compiled the first 147 maximum break in a World Championship final[3](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/snooker/mark-selby-147-world-snooker-championship-b2329940.html) |
| Semi-final comeback | Brecel overturned a 14-5 deficit against Si Jiahui, winning 11 frames in a row to win 17-15, the greatest comeback in Crucible history[4](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/snooker/world-championship-luca-brecel-si-jiahui-comeback-b2329554.html) |
| Other semi-final | Selby beat Mark Allen 17-15 in a match that ended at 12.47am, reaching his sixth World Championship final[4](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/snooker/world-championship-luca-brecel-si-jiahui-comeback-b2329554.html) |
| Champion's age | 28, the youngest world champion since Shaun Murphy in 2005[5](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/may/01/luca-brecel-holds-off-late-mark-selby-fightback-to-win-first-world-snooker-title) |
| Venue | Crucible Theatre, Sheffield[1](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/65450133) |
## Brecel's route to the final
Brecel arrived at the Crucible with an unusual record: he had never won a match there, going out in the first round on all five of his previous appearances.[5](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/may/01/luca-brecel-holds-off-late-mark-selby-fightback-to-win-first-world-snooker-title) His run to the title included victories over Mark Williams, Ronnie O'Sullivan, and Si Jiahui, with a record comeback from nine frames behind in the last of those matches.[6](https://www.wst.tv/news/2023/april/30/selby-v-brecel-tale-of-the-tape/)
**The semi-final against Si Jiahui.** Brecel trailed 14-5 in the race to 17 after a dominant opening by the 20-year-old Si, who looked set to become the youngest Crucible finalist in history.[4](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/snooker/world-championship-luca-brecel-si-jiahui-comeback-b2329554.html) Brecel won the final five frames of Friday's night session and continued the run on Saturday afternoon, taking 11 frames in a row to complete a 17-15 victory and become the first player in Crucible history to overturn a nine-frame deficit.[4](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/snooker/world-championship-luca-brecel-si-jiahui-comeback-b2329554.html) Si stopped the run with a composed break of 91 and had chances to force a decider before a clipped red along the cushion allowed Brecel to close out the match.[4](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/snooker/world-championship-luca-brecel-si-jiahui-comeback-b2329554.html) Brecel said afterwards: "I was in disbelief, I was shaking."
**The other semi-final.** Mark Selby, a four-time champion, beat Mark Allen 17-15 in a late-night battle that finished at 12.47am on Sunday morning, sealing a place in his sixth World Championship final.[4](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/snooker/world-championship-luca-brecel-si-jiahui-comeback-b2329554.html) Selby led 16-10 before Allen won five frames in a row to close to 16-15; Selby then took the frame he needed, with a break of 64 doing most of the damage.[4](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/snooker/world-championship-luca-brecel-si-jiahui-comeback-b2329554.html)
## The final
The final paired contrasting styles: Brecel's attacking flair against the tactical game of Selby, a four-time world champion.[6](https://www.wst.tv/news/2023/april/30/selby-v-brecel-tale-of-the-tape/) Brecel led 9-8 overnight after the opening day, a session in which Selby, coming to the table 9-6 down, compiled a 147 maximum break, the first in a World Championship final.[3](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/snooker/mark-selby-147-world-snooker-championship-b2329940.html)
Brecel won six of the eight frames in Monday's afternoon session to move 15-10 ahead, and extended the lead to six with the first frame of the evening.[5](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/may/01/luca-brecel-holds-off-late-mark-selby-fightback-to-win-first-world-snooker-title) Selby then rallied, running off five straight frames during which Brecel did not score a single point, to bring the score back to 16-15.[5](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/may/01/luca-brecel-holds-off-late-mark-selby-fightback-to-win-first-world-snooker-title) In frame 32 Brecel found an opening with a break of 43, and in the following frame he sealed the title with a break of 112.[5](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/may/01/luca-brecel-holds-off-late-mark-selby-fightback-to-win-first-world-snooker-title)
## Significance
Brecel's win made him the first world champion from mainland Europe in the tournament's history.[1](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/65450133) At 28, he was the youngest world champion since [Shaun Murphy](https://www.edgepedia.org/shaun-murphy) in 2005.[5](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/may/01/luca-brecel-holds-off-late-mark-selby-fightback-to-win-first-world-snooker-title) His preparation drew attention: he said in the run-up to the tournament that he had practiced mere minutes in weeks, instead practicing darts, and described the final week as "no practice, just partying. It shouldn't be legal!"[5](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/may/01/luca-brecel-holds-off-late-mark-selby-fightback-to-win-first-world-snooker-title) Selby, who had disclosed struggles with mental health during the year and said he had not really practised since January, congratulated the new champion: "Congratulations to Luca, he's a great talent and a great lad, a great family."[5](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/may/01/luca-brecel-holds-off-late-mark-selby-fightback-to-win-first-world-snooker-title) • [7](https://kuwaittimes.com/uploads/imported_images/pdf/2023/may/03/kt.pdf)
## References
1. [World Snooker Championship 2023 final: Luca Brecel beats Mark Selby for first world title, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/65450133)
2. [World Snooker Championship final 2023: Relive Luca Brecel's 18-15 win over Mark Selby, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/snooker/62996225)
3. [Mark Selby's historic 147 overshadows Luca Brecel's bold snooker in World Championship final, The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/snooker/mark-selby-147-world-snooker-championship-b2329940.html)
4. [Luca Brecel stunned to pull off greatest-ever World Championship comeback, The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/sport/snooker/world-championship-luca-brecel-si-jiahui-comeback-b2329554.html)
5. [Luca Brecel holds off late Mark Selby fightback to win first world snooker title, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/may/01/luca-brecel-holds-off-late-mark-selby-fightback-to-win-first-world-snooker-title)
6. [Selby v Brecel: Tale Of The Tape, World Snooker Tour](https://www.wst.tv/news/2023/april/30/selby-v-brecel-tale-of-the-tape/)
7. [Brecel forecasts Europe's snooker boom, Kuwait Times (AFP)](https://kuwaittimes.com/uploads/imported_images/pdf/2023/may/03/kt.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Other individual sports and outdoor recreation › Cue sports (billiards, snooker, darts) › Snooker › Snooker tournaments and seasons › World Snooker Championship editions*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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