World Record Set as 53 Red Cards Issued in Brazilian Football Brawl
A soccer match in Brazil set a new world record for disciplinary action on Sunday, when a referee issued 53 red cards following a mass brawl. The chaotic scenes during the Minas Gerais Under-20 Championship semifinal between Uberlândia and Mamoré eclipsed the previous global benchmark of 36 red cards set in Argentina in 2011.
How the Record-Breaking Brawl Unfolded
The stoppage-time violence began after a Mamoré player celebrated a 3-1 lead by taunting the opposing bench, according to the referee’s match report. ESPN reported that Mamoré’s Davi yelled insults toward the opposition, prompting Uberlândia goalkeeping coach Paulo Sérgio Dias Dos Santos to charge onto the pitch. What started as a verbal confrontation quickly escalated into an all-in physical altercation involving players and staff.
Referee Fernando Patrick Drosghic Modesto recorded the dismissals of 40 players, eight coaching staff members, and two club officials in his post-match report. Three additional players had already received red cards during the run of play prior to the mass altercation, bringing the final total to 53. The match was halted for 40 minutes before being officially abandoned.
Military Police Respond to Death Threats After Match Abandonment
The extreme hostility extended beyond the pitch, with military police called to the Estádio Parque do Sabiá due to the severe threat of violence directed at match officials, according to Brazilian news outlet O Tempo. Drosghic Modesto documented explicit death threats made against him by various individuals during the incident, prompting the filing of a formal police report.
Additional damage was reported inside the stadium following the abandonment. ESPN noted allegations that Uberlândia officials damaged Mamoré equipment, while members of the Mamoré squad reportedly vandalized the home dressing room.
In response to the chaos, Uberlândia announced it was withdrawing from the competition in what the club described as a gesture of fair play, allowing Mamoré to advance directly to the tournament final.
Comparing the New Disciplinary Benchmark
The 53 dismissals drastically surpass the previous international record for a single football match. In February 2011, an Argentinian fifth-division fixture between Atlético Claypole and Victoriano Arenas saw 36 red cards issued before Sunday’s events in Minas Gerais.
