The brawl overshadowed the victory. The final of a Brazilian state championship ended with as many as 23 red cards.
On the 9th (Korean time) at Mineirão Stadium in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, during the 2026 Campeonato Mineiro (Minas Gerais state championship) final, the squads of Cruzeiro and Atlético Mineiro engaged in a mass brawl. After the match, a total of 23 players from both teams were sent off.
The incident occurred in the final moments of stoppage time in the second half. Cruzeiro was holding a 1-0 lead after Caio Jorge's goal in the 15th minute of the second half.
In stoppage time, Atlético Mineiro goalkeeper Everson failed to secure a shot from Cruzeiro midfielder Matheus Pereira cleanly. Cruzeiro forward Cristian surged for the second ball and the two players collided.
The problem came afterward. After gaining control of the ball, Everson shoved Cristian to the ground and provoked him by pressing his knee on his chest. Seeing this, Cruzeiro players immediately rushed in and a physical fight began.
Atlético Mineiro players soon joined in. Even players on the bench ran onto the pitch, and the situation quickly escalated into a large-scale brawl.
The clashes grew more intense. A broadcast captured a moment when Atlético forward and former Brazil national team player Hulk struck an opposing player on the back of the head. Cruzeiro defender Lucas Viálba responded with a side kick.
The brawl continued for about eight minutes. The situation was brought under control only after riot police entered the stadium.
The match ultimately ended as it was. Cruzeiro held on to their 1-0 victory to claim the title.
However, a 'red card storm' followed. The referee issued mass dismissals to players from both teams after the final whistle. Twelve Cruzeiro players and 11 Atlético Mineiro players, totaling 23, received red cards.
This is the second-largest number of dismissals in a single match on record. The record is 36 players in a February 2011 Argentine fifth-division match between Atlético Claypol and Victoriano Arenas. At that time, every player participating in the match was sent off.
After the match, Hulk expressed regret. He said, "It is regrettable. We should not have shown such scenes. I am sorry to the children and fans who watched the game. It is also unfortunate that this has become world news."
He also expressed dissatisfaction with the referee's decisions. Hulk said, "I told the referee before the match that the situation could end badly. If dismissals were necessary, one or two players should have been sent off immediately. It seems the referee was afraid to officiate the final."
The referee is also reported to have acknowledged difficulty controlling the match. He explained that once the brawl turned into an all-out fight, it was hard to fully control the situation on site.
In the end, the final is likely to be remembered longer for the "23 red-card brawl" than for Cruzeiro's title.
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