When Uberlandia and Mamore faced off in the Under-20s Campeonato Mineiro (Second Division) semis at the Estadio Parque do Sabia in Minas Gerais, Brazil, nobody expected that this game would create a Guinness World Record. Well, it did, but sadly for the wrong reason. The game saw a whopping 51 red cards issued, and this was before an hour of play had been completed. The match was abandoned.

The Match Was Abandoned

Altercations on the field are a common sight in football but this match in Brazil saw something unprecedented. It became the full-on brawl that involved players, staff and even the ball boys and took 40 minutes to contain. No wonder the game had to be called off.

© X/brasil

All You Need to Know

The official report by the referee said that Mamore's 3rd goal was the trigger. Mamore's Davi ran towards the opposing bench and taunted Uberlandia's reserves and staff. This sparked a retaliation as Uberlandia goalkeeping coach Paulo Sergio Dias Dos Santos charged onto the pitch to confront him and after that, things really went out of control. The result was that substitutes, technical staff, and board members entered the field. This made it impossible for the referee and other officials to calm things down.

Take a look and see what happened:

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Breaking It All Down

Fernando Patrick Drosghic Modesto, who was the referee, said in his match report that six ball boys also got involved. He stated in the report that they hit Mamore personnel with objects, chairs, and stretchers. Local military police had to be called in order to be restored. Uberlandia officials also were said to have damaged equipment of Mamore. The Mamore members allegedly vandalised the dressing room of Uberlandia as a result. Before the brawl happened, three players were sent off. Then the referee issues 48 more red cards to players, officials, and other members for their part in the violence.

What Was the Previous Record?

As per the referee's report, 43 players, 8 support staff members, and 2 board members were given red cards. This broke the previous Guinness World Record for sending offs in a single game of football. The previous one was 36 reds. It happened in 2011 during a fifth-tier match in Argentina played between Claypole and Victoriano Arenas.