Guinness World Record broken as 53 red cards shown in Brazil under-20 match

What the report says

A Brazilian under-20 football match in Minas Gerais ended in disorder after a mass brawl led to what Al Jazeera, citing Reuters, described as a Guinness World Record for the most red cards in a single game. The incident happened during the first leg of a state championship semifinal between Uberlandia and Mamore, and the referee later recorded 53 red cards in total.

According to the report, the trouble began early in the second half after a player from Uberlandia was sent off and officials from the club entered the field. The match was paused for about 40 minutes before continuing. Mamore later scored in stoppage time to go 3-1 ahead, after which celebration-related taunting reportedly helped trigger the wider confrontation.

The referee’s account said 43 players, eight members of the coaching staff and two board members were dismissed. He also said the game could not be completed because of the scale of the disorder and security concerns. A police report was filed over alleged threats against the referee, and Mamore’s dressing room was reportedly vandalized.

The previous record for red cards in one match was 36, set in Argentina in 2011. Al Jazeera reported that Uberlandia later chose to forfeit the second leg, saying the move was a gesture of fair play, which allowed Mamore to advance to the final.