The incident occurred during the second half of an Under-20s Campeonato Mineiro (Second Division) semi-final between host side Uberlandia and local rivals Mamore, at the Estadio Parque do Sabia in Minas Gerais. Unprecedented scenes took place in an Under-20 match in Brazil where a whopping 51 red cards were shown before the clock even ticked the 60-minute mark, leading to the entire game being abandoned. Tensions flared up in the 54th minute of the second half after Mamore struck to go 3-1 up.
An Under-20 Campeonato Mineiro semi-final in Brazil was abandoned after 51 red cards were issued amid a mass brawl triggered by a goal celebration in the second half.
The referee, Fernando Patrick Drosghic Modesto , revealed in his match report that even six ball boys were involved in the altercation. Infuriated by the provocative celebration, Uberlandia goalkeeping coach Paulo Sergio Dias Dos Santos charged onto the pitch to confront him, sparking the full-scale brawl. Local military police were called to the ground to control the situation and restore order. It has also been alleged that Uberlandia officials damaged equipment belonging to the members of the Mamore team, who, in return, vandalised the home team’s dressing room. In the process, the incident broke the previous Guinness World Record for sending-offs in a single game of football.
In total, 43 players, 8 support staff members, and 2 board members were given red cards in the referee’s report. The previous record was 36 red cards, which were given in 2011 during a fifth-tier fixture in Argentina between Claypole and Victoriano Arenas.
The chaotic incident was triggered in the immediate aftermath of Mamore’s third goal, when forward Davi ran toward the opposition bench to taunt the Uberlandia reserves and staff, according to the official referee’s report. The ball boys, according to the report, hit Mamore personnel with objects, chairs, and stretchers.
