Referee Breaks Record With 23 Red Cards After Violent Cruzeiro–Atlético Clash

A chaotic end to the fiercely contested Campeonato Mineiro clash between Cruzeiro Esporte Clube and Clube Atlético Mineiro saw an unprecedented 23 red cards shown by the referee, marking the highest number of expulsions ever recorded in Brazilian football.

The heated encounter ended 1–0 in favour of Cruzeiro, courtesy of a 60th-minute strike from Kaio Jorge.

But the result was overshadowed by extraordinary scenes of disorder deep into stoppage time.

Tensions boiled over in the 90+6 minute when a mass confrontation erupted between players and staff from both sides. What began as a heated argument quickly escalated into a full-scale brawl, forcing the referee to take drastic disciplinary action.

In an astonishing sequence, multiple players from both teams were dismissed, along with substitutes and members of the technical benches. The referee brandished red cards repeatedly as order struggled to return to the pitch, eventually tallying 23 expulsions, a number never before seen in Brazilian football history.

Among those sent off were several prominent names from both squads, highlighting the scale of the melee that engulfed the fixture.

Security personnel and coaching staff eventually intervened to separate the players as tempers continued to flare around the field. The chaotic ending left spectators stunned and overshadowed what had otherwise been a tightly contested derby between the Minas Gerais rivals.

Football authorities are now expected to review the incident, with disciplinary sanctions and suspensions likely to follow as the league investigates the circumstances that led to one of the most notorious endings in Brazilian football.

The match will be remembered not for Cruzeiro’s narrow victory, but for the historic and controversial record of 23 red cards, a moment that has already sent shockwaves through Brazilian football.