A Brazilian football referee has set an extraordinary world record after issuing 53 red cards during a chaotic Under-20 championship match that descended into a mass brawl involving players, coaches and club officials.
The unprecedented incident occurred during the semi-final first leg of the Minas Gerais Under-20 Championship between Uberlandia and Mamore in Brazil.
According to the BBC, 43 players, eight members of the coaching staff and two Uberlandia board members were sent off following violent confrontations that disrupted the encounter.
The number surpasses the previous record of 36 red cards issued during a 2011 fifth-division match between Argentine clubs Club Atletico Claypole and Victoriano Arenas.
Brazilian newspaper O Tempo reported that military police were called to the Parque do Sabia Stadium following extensive damage to the facility during the disorder.
According to the referee’s report, the violence erupted in the second half after Mamore player Davi taunted the opposing bench while celebrating his team’s move into a 3-1 lead.
Uberlandia’s goalkeeping coach, Paulo Sergio Dias Dos Santos, reportedly ran onto the pitch to confront the player, triggering a confrontation that quickly escalated into a mass brawl.
Three players had already been sent off before the incident intensified.
The scale of the violence extended beyond the pitch, with a police report documenting 14 broken doors, damaged shower facilities, shattered windows and destroyed benches, tables and chairs.
The match was suspended for approximately 40 minutes before referee Fernando Patrick Drosghic Modesto eventually abandoned it.
Explaining his decision in the official report, Modesto said the widespread fighting made it impossible to complete the disciplinary procedures and formally conclude the encounter.
“In the 54th minute of the second half, a generalized brawl broke out, making it impossible to show the red cards and to carry out the match-closing protocol,” he wrote.
“Therefore, owing to all the turmoil and the lack of security, I declared the match ended.”
In an unusual development following the incident, Uberlandia announced that it would concede the second leg of the semi-final, allowing Mamore to advance to the final.
The club said Mamore had only seven players available because of the mass dismissals, making it difficult to proceed with the fixture.
Describing the decision as a gesture of fair play, Uberlandia said it would instead concentrate on the competition’s third-place match.
The club also disclosed that internal disciplinary measures had been taken against those involved in the violence.
“The club has also not remained silent: the appropriate disciplinary measures regarding those involved have already been taken internally, because athletic development is, above all, a matter of personal development,” Uberlandia said.
