Referee hands out record 53 red cards after chaos at under-20s game in Brazil

An under-20s match in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais descended into chaos, with the referee handing out a record 53 red cards after a brawl.

The incident took place during the first leg of a state ⁠championship semi-final match between ⁠Uberlandia and Mamore. In his report the referee, Fernando Patrick Drosghic Modesto, said the trouble began early in the second half, ⁠when a number of Uberlandia officials invaded the field after one of their players was sent off.

The match was halted for 40 ⁠minutes and eventually restarted, with Mamore going on to score in the ninth minute of stoppage time to take a 3-1 lead.