A youth soccer semifinal in Brazil just blew past the Guinness World Record for red cards in a single match. Referee Fernando Patrick Drosghic Modesto sent off 53 people during an Uberlândia vs. Mamoré U20 game, according to Complex, shattering the old mark of 36. Yes, that's roughly two full rosters plus a coaching staff, a few ball boys, and some board members.
The Damage Report
- The total: 53 red cards, per Complex, citing ESPN. That's 40 players and eight staff members after the brawl, plus three players carded earlier and two Uberlândia board members.
- The match: An Uberlândia vs. Mamoré U20 semifinal first leg in the Minas Gerais state championship, played on a Sunday.
- The spark: Mamoré went up 3-1 with a stoppage-time goal. A player then allegedly taunted the Uberlândia bench, and players, coaches, staffers, and ball boys all got involved.
- The delay: Play stopped for about 40 minutes before the match was abandoned.
- The aftermath: Uberlândia officials were accused of damaging Mamoré equipment, and Mamoré team members allegedly wrecked the home dressing room.
- The record: The previous Guinness mark was 36 red cards.
Mission Impossible: Paperwork Edition
Here's the part every ref reading this will feel in their bones. Drosghic Modesto wrote in his report that the brawl made it impossible to actually show the red cards or run the standard end-of-match protocol, so he just ended the game. Think about that. The record-setting number is real, but it's also the ref doing math after the fact, because nobody was in a state to receive a card.
His report also reportedly led to a police report being filed over alleged death threats against him. That's the detail that stops being funny. Referee abuse is already one of the biggest reasons officials quit youth sports, and this is the extreme end of that spectrum.
How It Ends
Uberlândia announced it will forfeit the second leg as what it called a "gesture of fair play." That sends Mamoré straight into the Minas Gerais state championship U20 final, which is one way to settle a series when your bench has already emptied itself.
So if your league's worst sideline moment is a dad arguing about offside from a lawn chair, take heart. Nobody on your sideline is going to threaten to break a world record. Probably.
Source: Complex