23 players received a red card after a mass brawl in the Brazilian Cup final between Cruzeiro and Atletico Mineiro

Red cards were issued to 23 players after a mass brawl broke out between Brazilian clubs Cruzeiro and Atletico Mineiro in the final of the Mineiro tournament.

Caio Jorge scored the winner in Belo Horizonte as Cruzeiro, coached by former Brazil coach Tite, beat rivals Atletico 1-0 to become Minas Gerais state champions for the first time since 2019.

But the match was marred by a violent quarrel in the final seconds, which forced security personnel and military police to intervene and led to the expulsion of 23 players, including former Brazilian striker Hulk, retroactively.

The collective confrontation began when Atletico goalkeeper Iverson pushed Christian to the ground and put his knee on the chest of the Cruzeiro midfielder, who collided with him while chasing a loose ball.

Christian’s teammates immediately confronted Iverson, pushing the goalkeeper towards the post, sparking wider problems as more players joined in while security staff tried to separate the two teams.

Brazilian media outlet Globo reported that although referee Mateus Delgado Candancan did not issue any red cards during the match,, external 23 players were later sent off because the fighting prevented the match referee from showing the cards on the pitch.

Cruzeiro had 12 players, including top scorer Jorge, sent off. Former Atletico Madrid and Nottingham Forest full-back Renan Lodi and Hulk were among 11 Atletico players sent off.

“It’s unfortunate,” Hulk said after the incident.

“We cannot set this example because it will eventually lead to repercussions around the world. We have a responsibility to protect our image and the image of the institution.”

Atletico and Cruzeiro have not achieved any wins after four matches in the Italian League this season and are ranked 17th and 19th, respectively, in the Brazilian First Division.