VIDEO: Brazilian referee issues 51 red cards after 40-minute football brawl

A youth football match in Uberlandia, Brazil turned violent, resulting in an unprecedented 51 red cards being issued by the referee. The confrontation occurred during the Minas Gerais Under-20 Second Division match between Uberlandia and Mamore, lasting approximately 40 minutes on Sunday. The violence erupted in the 54th minute when Mamore player Davi taunted the opposing team's bench after scoring a goal.

The incident was captured on video, showing Uberlandia's goalkeeping coach, Paulo Sérgio Dias Dos Santos, running onto the pitch to confront Davi. During the melee, chairs, stretchers, and even ball boys wielding punches and kicks were allegedly used as weapons, as reported by the referee, Referee Drosghic Modesto. Following the incident, Modesto claimed he received death threats and other violent threats from various individuals, leading to a police report being filed.

The match was temporarily suspended for 40 minutes before being abandoned altogether. The 51 red cards issued were distributed among 43 players and eight members of the teams' technical staff, setting a new record. This surpasses the previous highest number of red cards in a single football match, which was 36, recorded during an Argentine Primera D fixture in 2011.