Belgium's Luca Brecel became the first player from continental Europe to win snooker's World Championship as he withstood a fightback from four-time champion Mark Selby to triumph 18-15 in the final on Monday.

Brecel's victory also meant he joined Canadian Cliff Thorburn (1980), the Republic of Ireland's Ken Doherty (1997) and Australian Neil Robertson (2010) as only the fourth modern-era world champion from outside the United Kingdom at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre.

Having overturned huge deficits to defeat both seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan and Si Jiahui in the quarter and semi-final rounds respectively, Brecel held his nerve after Selby had eroded his lead.

The 28-year-old Brecel, who had never won a match at the World Championship before this year's edition, started Monday's concluding session 15-10 up.

Selby, however, won five of the next six frames as he closed to within one at just 16-15 behind.

But the Englishman then missed a black off its spot and Brecel capitalised to move within a frame of victory at 17-15.

Brecel was first in come the next frame and then demonstrated excellent cue-ball control around the black in a match-winning break of 112. (AFP)