In an unprecedented disciplinary breakdown in football history, a referee in Brazil issued 53 red cards to players and officials during a single Under-20 match, shattering the previous world record. The incident occurred on Sunday in the Minas Gerais regional U-20 semifinal first leg between Mamoré and Uberlândia.
The chaos erupted after Mamoré took a 3-1 lead, leading to a massive physical altercation that forced the match to be suspended for roughly 40 minutes before being officially abandoned. According to referee Fernando Patrick’s official report, 40 players and eight officials were shown red cards after the match concluded, supplementing the three players already dismissed during active play and two members of Uberlândia’s board of directors, bringing the total expulsions to 53.
Read nextSAFF Championship 2026 Kicks Off Quietly in Dhaka: Bangladesh Faces Bhutan Without Hamza ChoudhuryThe match official noted that the brawl was sparked when Mamoré player Davi made provocative gestures toward the opposition dugout during a goal celebration. Uberlândia's goalkeeping coach, Paulo Sergio Dias dos Santos, rushed onto the pitch to confront him, triggering a violent melee featuring death threats and widespread facility damage. Both clubs lodged counter-complaints, accusing each other of vandalizing team equipment and dressing rooms.
This staggering total easily surpasses the previous Guinness World Record set in February 2011, when an Argentine fifth-tier match between Claypole and Victoriano Arenas resulted in 36 red cards.
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