As many as 23 players received red cards after a mass brawl broke out between Cruzeiro and Atletico Mineiro in the final of the Mineiro state championship in Belo Horizonte
Cruzeiro emerged victorious thanks to Kaio Jorge's solitary goal, giving them a 1-0 victory. The team, coached by former Brazil national team coach Tite, became Minas Gerais state champions for the first time since 2019.
However, the match was marred by a violent brawl in the closing stages, which forced security officers and military police to intervene. The disturbances ultimately resulted in 23 players being shown red cards retrospectively.
The altercation began when Atletico goalkeeper Everson pushed Cruzeiro midfielder Christian to the ground after the two players collided while chasing the ball. The goalkeeper then kneed Christian.
Christian's teammates immediately chased Everson and pushed the goalkeeper into the goalpost. This then sparked a wider brawl as other players got involved.
Referee Matheus Delgado Candancan reportedly didn't issue a red card during the match. However, according to Brazilian media outlet Globo, 23 players were eventually shown red cards after the match because the referee couldn't show the cards during the brawl.
Twelve Cruzeiro players were shown red cards, including Kaio Jorge. Meanwhile, 11 Atletico players were sent off, including former Atletico Madrid and Nottingham Forest defender Renan Lodi.
Despite the large number of red cards awarded by the referee in the Brazilian competition, the record for the most red cards in a single senior football match is still held by an Argentine fifth division match between Atletico Clayploe and Victoriano Arenas in 2011.
