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53 red cards in U20 semi-final in Brazil, world record shattered

During the U20 championship semi-final in Minas Gerais between Uberlândia and Mamoré, the referee issued 53 red cards following two mass brawls. The previous world record was 36 expulsions, set in Argentina in 2011.

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53 red cards in U20 semi-final in Brazil, world record shattered
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A U20 championship semi-final in Minas Gerais state, Brazil, resulted in 53 expulsions in a single match, shattering the world record in football. The match pitted Uberlândia against Mamoré.

Incidents began in the 54th minute when officials stormed onto the pitch, forcing an interruption of approximately 40 minutes. Play resumed, but the worst was yet to come: in the 99th minute, a Mamoré goal triggered a mass brawl involving players, staff members and officials from both clubs.

The referee showed his red card 53 times in total: 43 players, 8 technical staff members and 2 officials were sent off. This tally far surpasses the previous world record in football, set during a match between Claypole and Victoriano Arenas in Argentina in 2011, where 36 expulsions had been recorded.

What followed proved equally improbable. Traumatized by the events, Uberlândia withdrew from the second leg, handing Mamoré qualification for the final without playing.

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