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The first leg of the Minas Gerais U-20 Championship semifinals between Uberlândia and Mamoré produced a total 53 red cards after a mass brawl needed breaking up by military police.
Three players had already been sent off by the time Mamoré went 3–1 up against Uberlândia in the 54th minute of the game. Mamoré’s Davi Fernandes Bittencourt celebrated the goal in front of the opposition bench, sparking a furious response from goalkeeper coach Paulo Sérgio Dias dos Santos that triggered an almighty brawl.
Players, substitutes and staff members were all involved in a huge fight that culminated in a total of 53 red cards being shown across the match. Forty-three players were dismissed alongside eight coaches and two Uberlândia officials.
The final tally of 53 red cards comfortably shatters the record recognized by Guinness World Records—the 36 shown in a Argentinian fifth-division game between Club Atlético Claypole and Victoriano Arenas in 2011—but that organization only focuses on professional matches and is not expected to announce a new record.
O futebol ficou em segundo plano no jogo de ida da semifinal da Segunda Divisão do Campeonato Mineiro Sub-20, entre Uberlândia e Mamoré, no último domingo (1º/11). Apesar da vitória do Mamoré por 3 a 1, no Estádio Parque do Sabiá, em Uberlândia, no Triângulo Mineiro, o que chamou… pic.twitter.com/6QpmZB2KRG
— O TEMPO (@otempo) November 3, 2026
The match, which had already been delayed by 40 minutes after Uberlândia officials stormed the pitch to protest an earlier red card, had to be abandoned as a result of the brawl, with military police called to help break up a fight that continued back in the locker rooms and led to significant damage to the stadium facilities.
Footage of the aftermath shows broken doors, sinks, toilets, showers, benches and plenty of other objects, while smashed windows and damaged electrical wiring were also reported.
“I hereby inform you that, at the moment I was about to present the red cards to player number 02 of Mamoré and the goalkeeping coach of Uberlândia, at 54 minutes of the second half, a general brawl broke out, making it impossible to present the red cards and carry out the protocol to end the match,” said referee Fernando Patrick Drosghic Modesto in a statement.
The two sides had been due to contest the second leg of the tie at the weekend but, to nobody’s surprise, that match will no longer be played.
Uberlândia, 3–1 down at the time the match was abandoned, released a statement confirming they have accepted elimination from the tournament as a “gesture of fair play” to Mamoré, who have been left with just seven eligible players because of all the suspensions handed out.
“Verdão seeks its victories on the field, with merit and respect for the opponent, and therefore recognizes Mamoré’s qualification for the final,” a club statement read.
The on-field turmoil may be over, but the incident is now in the hands of the police, who are investigating whether any further charges need to be brought against any of the individuals involved.
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