A fierce clash erupted in Brazilian football as a match handed out 53 red cards, breaking the world record after players and staff engaged in a mass brawl.
A scandal rocked Brazilian football during the U20 youth championship semifinal between Uberlândia and Mamoré in the Minas Gerais state championship, where a major fight broke out, leading the referee to issue a total of 53 red cards—setting a new world record.
The incident occurred in the first leg of the semifinal last Sunday, when early in the second half several Uberlândia officials stormed the pitch to protest the referee after some players were sent off, causing the match to be halted for 40 minutes before resuming.
Then, in the 9th minute of added time, Mamoré scored to lead 3-1. Following the goal, Mamoré player Davi taunted the opposing bench during celebrations, triggering players and staff from both sides to rush at each other, resulting in a chaotic melee involving punches and kicks.
Referee Fernando Patrick Droskic Modesto reported that 53 people were sent off: 43 players, 8 coaching staff, and 2 club executives. Of these, 24 were from Uberlândia and 29 from Mamoré.
The violence was so severe that the referee could not personally show red cards to all offenders and instead recorded their names in the match report due to the uncontrollable chaos.
Additionally, the referee revealed he had been threatened by Uberlândia officials and filed a police report. Reports also indicated that Mamoré’s dressing room was damaged after the match.
The 53 red cards issued set a new world record, surpassing the previous record of 36 cards from a fifth-division Argentine league match between Atlético Clapole and Victoriano Arenas on 27 February 2011.
Uberlândia subsequently forfeited the second leg of the semifinal citing sportsmanship concerns, as Mamoré lacked enough eligible players. This allowed Mamoré to advance automatically to the final. Uberlândia also confirmed disciplinary measures against those involved within the club.