Football witnessed unprecedented chaos in Brazil after a Under-20 match between Uberlandia and Mamore reportedly produced a world-record 53 red-card dismissals following a massive on-field brawl. The semifinal match descended into violence, with players, coaching staff and club officials involved in the ugly scenes.
The incident took place on Sunday at the Parque do Sabia Stadium. Tensions reportedly escalated after Mamore scored its third goal in the closing stages of the match. During the celebrations, Mamore player Davi Fernandes Bittencourt allegedly made provocative gestures towards the opposition dugout, triggering an angry reaction from the home side.
World Record 53 Red Cards Shown In Brazilian U-20 Football Match After Mass Brawl
The situation quickly spiralled out of control when an Uberlandia goalkeeping coach reportedly ran onto the pitch and pushed the Mamore player. This sparked a massive confrontation involving footballers and members of both coaching teams. Punches and kicks were exchanged as the brawl spread across the playing area, leaving the referee struggling to restore order.
According to the referee's official report, 48 additional dismissals followed the mass confrontation, taking the number to 51 when combined with three players who had been sent off earlier. Two Uberlandia club officials were also reportedly dismissed, bringing the overall tally to 53. The referee was unable to physically show all the red cards amid the chaos and instead recorded the dismissals in his official report.
The 53 dismissals reportedly surpassed the previous record of 36 red cards issued during a fifth-division match between Argentine clubs Atletico Claypole and Victoriano Arenas in 2011. The Brazilian incident has therefore attracted worldwide attention, although official recognition by Guinness World Records has not yet been confirmed.
What was supposed to be a competitive youth football semifinal has instead become one of the most extraordinary disciplinary controversies in football history.
