A Brazilian under-20 state championship semifinal match has shattered the Guinness World Record for the most red cards issued in a single game, with 53 players and staff dismissed following a massive brawl. The chaotic scenes unfolded on Sunday during the first leg between Uberlandia and Mamore in Minas Gerais.
Referee Fernando Patrick Drosghic Modesto documented the escalating tensions in his official match report. He noted that the conflict began early in the second half when Uberlandia team officials entered the field of play in protest after a player received a red card. The resulting standoff halted the match for 40 minutes.
Upon the restart, the match continued until Mamore secured a 3-1 lead in the ninth minute of stoppage time. Brazilian media reports suggest the situation erupted again when Mamore’s Davi taunted opposing players during goal celebrations, triggering a generalized brawl that made standard match-closing protocols impossible to execute.
In his report, Drosghic Modesto explained the decision to abandon the match: “In the 54th minute of the second half, a generalised brawl broke out, making it impossible to show the red cards and to carry out the match-closing protocol. Therefore, owing to all the turmoil and the lack of security, I declared the match ended.” The referee also confirmed that threats were directed at him, and Mamore’s team reportedly vandalized the dressing room area.
The disciplinary count was unprecedented: 43 players, eight coaching staff members, and two Uberlandia board members were sent off. This figure far exceeds the previous record of 36 red cards set in February 2011 during an Argentine fifth-division match between Atletico Claypole and Victoriano Arenas.
Following the event, Uberlandia announced they would forfeit the second leg of the semifinal as a “gesture of fair play,” noting that Mamore lacked sufficient eligible players to field a squad. Consequently, Mamore advanced to the tournament final. Uberlandia stated they have already initiated internal disciplinary measures, emphasizing that athletic progress remains inseparable from personal development.
