The ex-painter and decorator sold a total of 439,000 copies in the six days since his victory on the ITV talent show, putting him ahead of this week's runner-up Rihanna and 'What's My Name?' by more than 300,000 copies.
Cardle - who has also secured the fastest-selling non-charity single of the year - stated: "I can't believe it, as if winning wasn't enough. I honestly didn't think I'd even make it on to the live shows, let alone win and now be the Christmas number one. I can't even begin to describe how it feels. It's nuts, crackers and crazy.
"To think that many people have supported me and bought the record is absolutely mindblowing. Thank you so much to everyone. I'm going to have one or two beers to celebrate!"
In third place this week is 1963 classic 'Surfin' Bird' by The Trashmen, which clocked up just under 70,000 sales following a Facebook campaign to avoid having an X Factor star as the Christmas number one for the fifth time in six years.
The new arrivals and risers at the peak of the chart send previous runner-up Willow Smith and 'Whip My Hair' tumbling down the rankings to nine, just a few places behind a massive climber in the shape of Take That's 'The Flood', at six from last week's 15.
Although Facebook users failed to dictate this year's Christmas number one, as they did in 2009 with Rage Against The Machine and 'Killing In The Name Of', several other singles endorsed on the site have made a substantial impact on 2010's Yuletide chart. The most successful of these alternative tracks are Biffy Clyro's original version of Cardle's cover - entitled 'Many Of Horror' - at eight, and Cage Against The Machine's silent 1952 piece '4:33' at 21.
Meanwhile, several other X Factor-related artists slide out of the top ten for the first time, namely last year's runner-up Olly Murs with 'Thinking Of Me' at 14, the 2010 finalists and their charity single 'Heroes' at 15 and guest judge Nicole Scherzinger's 'Poison', which drops eight places to 18.
By contrast, festive classic 'Fairytale Of New York' by The Pogues and the late Kirsty MacColl glides to 19 from last week's 26. The 1987 tune has appeared on the chart during December every year since 2005 and peaked at 12 last Christmas.
The top ten in full:
1. (-) Matt Cardle: 'When We Collide'
2. (4) Rihanna ft. Drake: 'What's My Name?'
3. (-) The Trashmen: 'Surfin' Bird'
4. (1) Black Eyed Peas: 'The Time (Dirty Bit)'
5. (3) Ellie Goulding: 'Your Song'
6. (15) Take That: 'The Flood'
7. (5) Rihanna: 'Only Girl (In The World)'
8. (-) Biffy Clyro: 'Many Of Horror'
9. (2) Willow Smith: 'Whip My Hair'
10. (11) Michael Jackson ft. Akon: 'Hold My Hand'
Source: Official Charts Company
