A Brazilian football referee has reportedly issued 51 red cards following a mass brawl involving players and technical crew members during a youth league match between Uberlandia and Mamore in Brazil.
The violent incident occurred during a Minas Gerais Under-20 Second Division encounter on Sunday, with the confrontation lasting about 40 minutes before military police intervened, according to Brazilian newspaper O Tempo.
Referee Drosghic Modesto’s match report stated that the altercation began in the 54th minute after Mamore player Davi allegedly provoked Uberlandia’s bench while celebrating his team’s third goal.
The situation reportedly worsened when Uberlandia’s goalkeeping coach, Paulo Sérgio Dias Dos Santos, entered the pitch to confront the player. A video of the incident, which circulated widely on Thursday, showed the scale of the confrontation.
Chairs and stretchers were allegedly used during the melee, while the referee claimed that Uberlandia’s ball boys also participated in the violence, throwing punches and kicks at those involved.
Modesto further alleged that he received death threats and other threats of violence from several individuals after the incident. He said he subsequently filed a police report over the threats.
The match was suspended for 40 minutes before it was eventually abandoned, with the referee reportedly issuing 51 red cards to 43 players and eight members of the teams’ technical staff.
According to Guinness World Records, the previous record for the highest number of red cards in a single football match was 36, issued during an Argentine Primera D fixture in 2011.
