Record Red Cards: 23 Players Sent Off in Brazilian State Final

A mass brawl in the Campeonato Mineiro final between Brazilian sides Cruzeiro and Atletico Mineiro resulted in 23 players being red-carded following the match.

Kaio Jorge scored the decisive goal in Belo Horizonte as Cruzeiro, coached by former Brazil manager Tite, defeated their rivals 1-0 to claim the Minas Gerais state title for the first time since 2019.

However, the final moments of the game were overshadowed by violent clashes that required intervention from security personnel and military police. The melee involved both teams and led to retrospective red cards for 23 players, including former Brazil international Hulk from Atletico.

The confrontation started when Atletico goalkeeper Everson pushed Cruzeiro midfielder Christian to the ground and drove his knee into the player’s chest after a collision while chasing a loose ball. Christian’s teammates immediately retaliated, pushing Everson into the goalpost and escalating the incident as more players joined the fracas.

Referee Matheus Delgado Candancan did not issue any red cards during the game due to the chaos on the pitch, but Brazilian media outlet Globo reported that 23 players were later dismissed after officials reviewed the incident.

Cruzeiro had 12 players, including goalscorer Jorge, sanctioned, while 11 Atletico players were sent off, among them former Atletico Madrid and Nottingham Forest full-back Renan Lodi and Hulk.

The incident approaches the record for most red cards in a senior match, set in February 2011 when all 36 players in a fifth-division Argentine game between Atletico Claypole and Victoriano Arenas were dismissed after a “generalised brawl,” according to the referee’s report.

Hulk condemned the fracas, saying: “It’s regrettable. We cannot set that example because it ends up having repercussions all around the world. We have a responsibility to safeguard our image and the image of the institution.”

Both Cruzeiro and Atletico have had difficult starts to the current Serie A season, remaining winless after four matches and sitting 17th and 19th respectively in the league standings.