Hulk among 23 players sent off in record-breaking Brazil brawl

Former Porto and Zenit St Petersburg star Hulk was among the 23 players sent off in a new record for dismissals in Brazil on Sunday.

Cruzeiro and Atletico Miniero played out the 2026 Mineiro Championship final and it was A Raposa who claimed their 39th Minas Gerais title and their first for seven years after Kaio Jorge scored the only goal of the game.

But the clash in Belo Horizonte was overshadowed by violent scenes from the players late in the game.

Cruzeiro goalkeeper Everson pushed Christian to the floor in an altercation, before he kneeled over him and shouted something.

That sparked a wild melee involving both teams, with the officials and coaches unable to stop the chaos which ensued. There were flying kicks and punches thrown from a plethora of players, to the point where there were a staggering 23 players sent off.

The tally is the most in Brazilian football history, eclipsing the record of 22 red cards in a meeting between Portuguesa and Botafogo back in 1954.

The shameful scenes led to a lengthy stoppage which ended with the referee blowing the final whistle and Cruzeiro being crowned the winners.

A number of bans look set to be issued from the relevant authorities after fights were caught on camera. And it was not a good luck from ex Brazil international was filmed sucked punching opposition player Lucas Romero from behind.

The 39-year-old was branded a "coward" for his actions and later issued an apology to local media for the ugly end to the game and his involvement.

"It's regrettable, I have never seen violence like that in any football game," Hulk said, as per Reuters.

"We cannot set that example because it ends up having repercussions all around the world.

"We have a responsibility to safeguard our image and the image of the institution."

Atletico Mineiro are back in league action on Wednesday when they play Internacional, while Cruzeiro take on Flamengo on Thursday.