A historic mass confrontation during the final moments of the Campeonato Mineiro on Sunday has resulted in 23 players being sent off, setting a new record for the most dismissals in a single professional match in Brazilian football history.
The clash erupted at the Mineirão Stadium deep into stoppage time as Cruzeiro secured a 1-0 victory over their fierce rivals Atlético Mineiro. While the result handed Cruzeiro their first state title since 2019, the sporting achievement was immediately eclipsed by a violent melee that required intervention from stadium security and military police.
The chaos was ignited in the 90+6 minutes following a collision between Atlético goalkeeper Éverson and Cruzeiro midfielder Christian. According to the official match report filed by referee Matheus Delgado Candancan, Éverson tackled Christian to the ground and "brutally struck his opponent in the face with his knee. " The action triggered an immediate retaliatory charge from Cruzeiro players, leading to a ten-minute brawl involving starters, substitutes, and coaching staff.
Referee Candancan did not issue any cards on the pitch, opting instead to finalise the disciplinary actions in his post-game report after reviewing the footage. The final tally included 12 red cards for Cruzeiro and 11 for Atlético Mineiro. Among those dismissed was former Brazil international and Atlético captain Hulk, who was observed throwing punches during the fracas.
"It is regrettable; I have never seen violence like that in any football game," Hulk told local media following the incident. "We have a responsibility to safeguard our image and the image of the institution. We cannot set that example."
The 23 dismissals surpass the previous Brazilian record of 22 red cards, which occurred during a 1954 fixture between Portuguesa and Botafogo. Cruzeiro manager Tite chose to focus on the championship victory, though the club now faces significant squad shortages ahead of their upcoming league match against Flamengo.