One under-20 football match. Fifty-one dismissals. A mass brawl, alleged threats to a referee and damage to a stadium. Yet the most surprising part of the story may be what happened three days later: one of the clubs voluntarily gave up its chance of reaching the final.
The incident took place on Sunday 1 November 2026 at the Parque do Sabiá stadium in Uberlândia, Brazil, during the first leg of the Minas Gerais Under-20 Second Division Championship semi-final between Uberlândia and Mamoré. The visitors finished 3-1 ahead, but an extraordinary confrontation at the end forced the referee to abandon proceedings.
A difficult match even before the brawl
Mamoré had recovered from conceding first to lead 2-1 at half-time. Seven minutes into the second half, Uberlândia’s Luike was sent off for a second bookable offence. According to referee Fernando Patrick Drosghic Modesto’s report, Uberlândia officials then entered the pitch and confronted the match officials. He reported alleged threats, and play was halted for about 40 minutes before eventually resuming. The 40-minute stoppage was before the final mass brawl, a detail blurred in some retellings.
There were two more dismissals in the second half: Mamoré goalkeeper João Henrique following a confrontation with the referee, and Uberlândia’s Nelzi over a reported punch to the goalkeeper. That made three red cards before the most extraordinary incident began. Brazilian outlet ge’s account of the referee’s report sets out the individual incidents.
Deep in added time, in what the referee recorded as the 54th minute of the second half, JV scored for Mamoré to make it 3-1. During the celebration, Mamoré’s Davi Fernandes Bittencourt allegedly directed insulting gestures and words towards the Uberlândia bench. The referee’s account says Uberlândia goalkeeping coach Paulo Sérgio Dias dos Santos went on to the pitch and confronted Davi. Players, substitutes and staff then became involved in a widespread fight.
Footage shows objects being thrown and people clashing around the touchline. Modesto said the disorder and lack of security made it impossible to carry out the normal sending-off process or finish the match safely. Instead, he recorded the expulsions retrospectively in his written report. So the familiar description of the referee physically showing 51 red cards is not quite what happened.
Watch: the incident at Parque do Sabiá
This video has circulated in coverage of the incident. Watch a separate video report from Sky Sports if the YouTube player does not load.
Was it 51 red cards or 53?
The match report’s central tally is 51 dismissals: 43 players and eight members of the two coaching teams. Of these, 48 were attributed to the mass confrontation, on top of the three earlier sendings-off. The 43 players were split between 22 from Uberlândia and 21 from Mamoré. Four coaching staff from each club were also dismissed. ge published a breakdown of all 51 named in the match report.
There is a second number in circulation. Reuters reported 53 because two Uberlândia club directors or officials were also dismissed separately. The discrepancy is therefore principally about who is included in the count, not about whether the brawl happened. For this article, 51 refers to the recorded players and coaching staff; 53 is the wider figure used by some news organisations when the two officials are included.
Police involvement, damaged facilities and disciplinary action
The Minas Gerais military police were called in connection with incidents at the stadium. O Tempo reported that police found damage including around 14 doors as well as showers, toilets, fittings and furniture. The damage was reported in connection with the Mamoré changing room, but responsibility remains an allegation rather than a judicial finding. O Tempo said no arrests were made at the time.
The referee also recorded alleged verbal threats from Uberlândia officials. Those allegations were referred to police. Separate from any potential criminal investigation, the Minas Gerais sports justice tribunal can still consider disciplinary penalties. Uberlândia has said it took internal action against people involved. The federation’s administrative decision did not resolve or dismiss the underlying disciplinary case.
Then came the remarkable decision
On Wednesday 4 November, Uberlândia confirmed that it had renounced the return leg, which had been scheduled for Sunday 8 November in Patos de Minas. The club said Mamoré would have had only seven eligible players as a result of the suspensions, the minimum allowed by the rules, while Uberlândia could have used eligible under-20 and under-17 players.
Uberlândia called its withdrawal a “gesture of fair play”, saying sporting values should come before the result. The decision was formally accepted by the Minas Gerais Football Federation that day. It was not a second match played and lost: the return leg was cancelled and Mamoré advanced directly to the final, securing promotion to the top under-20 division for 2027. Read Uberlândia’s statement in full.
There is an important qualification. As ge reported from the federation’s decision, the automatic one-match suspensions were considered served by the cancelled leg. That meant affected players could be available again for the final or third-place playoff, subject to any further tribunal sanctions. Uberlândia was allowed to remain in the competition for the third-place match, which also carries promotion. The federation indicated that the club’s next home fixture should be played behind closed doors on security grounds.
A world record? Not officially confirmed by Guinness
The figure of 51, or even the narrower 43 player dismissals, exceeds the 36 sent off in the 27 February 2011 Argentine fifth-tier match between Atlético Claypole and Victoriano Arenas. But as of 6 November 2026, Guinness World Records’ published entry still lists that 2011 game. The Brazilian incident can fairly be called a reported record-breaking total; a formally updated Guinness record has not yet been verified. Comparisons may also depend on how players, substitutes and non-playing officials are counted.
What makes this story unusual
Violence at a youth match is no achievement, regardless of the number attached to it. What makes this episode more than another ugly football story is the contrast between two decisions: the behaviour that ended the first leg and Uberlândia’s subsequent choice not to exploit an opposition squad devastated by suspensions. The latter deserves to be reported, just as the former deserves proper investigation and accountability.
Sources and further reading
- Uberlândia SAF: official withdrawal and fair-play statement, 4 November
- ge: federation decision, second-leg cancellation and disciplinary consequences
- ge: 51 expulsions, complete breakdown based on referee’s report
- O Tempo: police attendance and reported damage
- Reuters: 53-count including two club officials
- Guinness World Records: 2011 record still displayed
