World record 53 red cards in one football match! A goal celebration sparks a massive brawl in Brazil

Football has witnessed some extraordinary moments over the years, but what happened in Brazil on Sunday was something else.

There are only 22 players on the pitch at any given time, but an astonishing 53 red cards were shown in a single match.

Yes, you read that right. Fifty three!

So, how on earth did that happen? Let's find out.

A match between Uberlandia and Mamore in the semi finals of the Minas Gerais Under 20 Second Division Championship descended into complete chaos following a massive brawl.

For those unfamiliar with the competition, it is a regional youth football tournament organised by the Minas Gerais Football Federation in Brazil.

It is the second tier of Under 20 football in the state of Minas Gerais, where clubs compete for promotion to the top division of the state's youth championship.

The teams that reach the final earn promotion, while the winner of the third place playoff also secures a place in the top division for 2027.

The incident happened on November 3 at the Parque do Sabia Stadium in Uberlândia, where Mamoré were leading 3 -1 when tensions boiled over.

How did the chaos begin?

The match had already been interrupted for around 40 minutes following an earlier confrontation involving Uberlandia officials and the referee.

However, things turned ugly again when Mamore scored their third goal deep into stoppage time.

According to Brazilian media, Mamore player Davi made provocative gestures towards the opposition bench during the celebrations.

That sparked a massive confrontation involving players, substitutes and coaching staff, with punches and kicks exchanged.

Referee Fernando Patrick Drosghic Modesto was unable to restore order and eventually abandoned the match.

A total of 43 players and eight coaching staff members were dismissed, while two Uberlândia officials were also included in the reported total.

Three players had already been sent off before the mass brawl.

And here's another extraordinary detail. The referee could not physically show all the red cards because of the chaos. Instead, the dismissals were recorded in his official match report.

Previous world record shattered

The incident surpassed the previous Guinness World Record of 36 red cards, set during a fifth division match in Argentina between Atlético Claypole and Victoriano Arenas on February 27, 2011.

However, the new Brazilian record has not yet been formally recognised by Guinness.

There is also a slight difference in the reported numbers.

Brazilian outlet Globo recorded 51 dismissals involving players and coaching staff, while Reuters reported 53 after including two club officials.

Either way, the number is extraordinary.

Uberlandia withdraw from semi finals

The drama did not end there.

Following the incident, Uberlandia withdrew from the second leg of the semi final, scheduled for November 8.

But why?

The mass dismissals left Mamore with just seven eligible players, the minimum required to start a match. Uberlandia, meanwhile, had enough players available, including youngsters from their Under 17 squad.

According to reports, Uberlandia decided not to take advantage of the situation and withdrew as a gesture of fair play.

Well, after everything that happened on the pitch, hearing about fair play is quite something!

The decision allowed Mamore to reach the final and secure promotion to the state's top Under 20 division for 2027.

Uberlandia can still earn promotion through the third place playoff.

In another surprising twist, the federation ruled that the automatic suspensions would be considered served despite the cancellation of the second leg, allowing eligible players to return for their next matches.