Mass Brawl Erupts After Cruzeiro Wins Brazilian State Championship, 23 Red Cards Issued

Belo Horizonte. The pitch at the Campeonato Mineiro final in Brazil resembled a wrestling ring rather than a football field. Cruzeiro, led by former Brazilian coach Tite, defeated Atletico Mineiro 1-0 to win their first title since 2019, but the victory was overshadowed by a serious confrontation at the end of the match.

Shortly after Kaio Jorge scored the decisive goal to make his team champions, a major fight broke out between the players of the two teams on the field.

Tension began when Atletico's goalkeeper, Everson, shoved Cruzeiro midfielder Cristian, knocking him to the ground and pressing his knee into his chest.

Everson acted out of anger because Cristian collided with him while chasing the ball, prompting other Cruzeiro players to rush to defend their teammate. Subsequently, players and even members from the benches of both teams entered the field, resulting in a physical altercation.

Security personnel and military police present on the field had to separate the players as the situation spiraled out of control.

During the match, referee Matheus Delgado Candaque could not show any cards because the atmosphere on the field was chaotic and violent. However, according to Brazilian media outlet Globo, the referee later noted in his report that 23 players were shown red cards.

Among those carded were Cruzeiro's goalkeeper, Jori, and 12 other players, along with former Brazilian forward Hulk and Renan Lodi from Atletico Mineiro, totaling 11 players from that side.

Atletico's star player, Hulk, expressed regret over the incident. He stated that such an example sends a bad message worldwide and that players must be responsible for protecting their image and that of their club.

This incident marks the second-largest number of red cards issued in the history of senior football. The record remains a match in Argentina's fifth division in 2011, where 36 players were sent off. Currently, both teams are showing very poor performance in Brazil's top division.