The final match of the Campeonato Mineiro, held in Brazil between the teams "Cruzeiro" and "Atletico Mineiro," ended in an unprecedented mass brawl. An anti-record was set in Belo Horizonte: referees issued 23 red cards.
The conflict erupted in the final minutes of the second half after a harsh collision between Atletico's goalkeeper Everson and Cruzeiro's midfielder Christian. The scuffle quickly escalated into a large-scale brawl, involving not only the players but also coaches, substitute players, and military police officers who were trying to stop the fight.
Despite a ten-minute interruption caused by the chaos, the match was completed. "Cruzeiro" won with a score of 1:0, thanks to a goal from Caio Jorge, scored in the 60th minute.
However, the most attention was drawn to the events that occurred after the final whistle. The chief referee Mateus Delgado Candansan recorded 12 red cards for "Cruzeiro" players and 11 for "Atletico Mineiro." This event broke the previous national record for the number of expulsions (22 cards), set in 1954 during a match between "Portuguesa" and "Botafogo." Images appeared on social media showing that goalkeeper Everson suffered a serious head injury and heavy bleeding after being forcefully pushed into the goalpost.
The famous forward of "Atletico Mineiro," Hulk, commented on the incident as follows:
"This is terrible. I have never seen such brutality in football. We must care for the reputation of the game and our clubs, especially in front of children for whom football is an inspiration."
This incident has caused a wide resonance in international media, and sports experts are already calling this final one of the most chaotic and scandalous matches in the history of South American football.
