2026 Campeonato Mineiro final

In a first half with many fouls and few chances, Cruzeiro tried long-range shots from Kaiki and Lucas Silva, while Atlético Mineiro's Renan Lodi also made an attempt.^[10]

The second half was short on chances for its first 15 minutes, until Cruzeiro's Matheus Pereira passed to Gerson on the left side of the attack. He crossed the ball to Kaio Jorge, who headed it past Atlético Mineiro goalkeeper Everson for the only goal of the game, given after video assistant referee review. Atlético Mineiro sought an equaliser, but were unable to create goalscoring opportunities.^[10]

In the last minute, Cruzeiro went on the counterattack, and Pereira took a shot that was blocked by Everson.^[10] Christian and Everson challenged each other for the rebounded ball, and the goalkeeper brought down the Cruzeiro midfielder before placing his knee in Christian's chest. Cruzeiro players reacted by pushing Everson into his goalposts, causing a mass brawl that was broken up by security and military police.^[12]

Referee Matheus Delgado Candançan recorded two sendings-off during the game: in the sixth minute of added time, he sent off Everson for the knee on Christian, and he sent off Christian for kicking the goalkeeper in the head with his shin while the goalkeeper had the ball under control. The referee noted that he did not show a red card during the game, because of the brawl that immediately followed.^[11]

Though he was again unable to show red cards due to the brawl, Delgado Candançan recorded another 21 sendings-off due to the fight, recording them all under the same explanation. The 11 Cruzeiro players sent off were Cássio, Fagner, Fabrício Bruno, João Marcelo, Lucas Villalba, Kauã Prates, Lucas Romero, Matheus Henrique, Walace, Gerson and Kaio Jorge. The 10 Atlético Mineiro players sent off were Gabriel Delfim, Ángelo Preciado, Lyanco, Ruan Tressoldi, Júnior Alonso, Renan Lodi, Alan Franco, Alan Minda, Mateo Cassierra and Hulk.^[11]

The 23 sendings-off set a new record in a Brazilian football match. The previous record was 22 for a game between Portuguesa and Botafogo in the 1954 Torneio Rio–São Paulo, and a 1971 friendly between Santa Catarina rivals Avaí and Figueirense in 1971.^[11] The world record is held by a game between Claypole and Victoriano Arenas in the Argentinian fifth division on 27 February 2011, in which a brawl led to the sending-off of the eleven players and seven substitutes of both teams.^[11]

Cruzeiro

Atlético Mineiro

GK 1 Cássio  90+6' RB 12 William  90+6' CB 15 Fabrício Bruno  90+6' CB 25 Lucas Villalba  76'  90+6' LB 6 Kaiki Bruno  9' CM 29 Lucas Romero  90+6' CM 16 Lucas Silva (c)  74' RW 88 Christian  90+6' AM 10 Matheus Pereira  26' LW 11 Gerson  90+6'  64' CF 19 Kaio Jorge  82'  90+6'  87' Substitutes: GK 31 Matheus Cunha DF 23 Fagner  90+6' DF 34 Jonathan Jesus DF 36 Kauã Prates  90+6' DF 43 João Marcelo  90+6' MF 5 Walace  90+6' MF 8 Matheus Henrique  90+6'  74' MF 77 Japa FW 20 Bruno Rodrigues  64' FW 91 Chico da Costa FW 94 Wanderson  87' FW 99 Keny Arroyo Manager: Tite

GK 22 Everson  90+6' RB 2 Natanael  71'  76' CB 4 Ruan Tressoldi  58'  90+6' CB 14 Vitor Hugo  33' LB 16 Renan Lodi  90+4'  90+6' CM 21 Alan Franco  90+6' CM 30 Victor Hugo  66' RW 39 Mamady Cissé  16' AM 11 Bernard  66' LW 92 Dudu CF 7 Hulk (c)  90+6' Substitutes: GK 1 Gabriel Delfim  90+6' DF 6 Júnior Alonso  90+6' DF 13 Lyanco  90+6' DF 23 Ángelo Preciado  90+6'  76' DF 36 Kauã Pascini MF 10 Gustavo Scarpa  76' MF 17 Igor Gomes  16'  76' MF 19 Reinier MF 25 Tomás Pérez FW 9 Mateo Cassierra  90+6'  66' FW 27 Alan Minda  90+6'  66' FW 28 Tomás Cuello Manager: Eduardo Domínguez

Kaio Jorge was selected as man of the match. With seven goals from seven games, he was the top scorer of the season as well.^[13]

By winning the Campeonato Mineiro, Cruzeiro manager Tite equalled Telê Santana's achievement of winning the four most important state championships in Brazil. He had previously won the Campeonato Paulista for Corinthians, the Campeonato Carioca for Flamengo, and the Campeonato Gaúcho for Grêmio, Internacional and Caxias.^[14]

Atlético Mineiro forward Hulk, who was sent off, wrote on Instagram "I apologise to everyone who was in the stadium, to those who watched it on television, and especially to the children who look up to football. What we saw on the pitch is not the example we want to set".^[15]

Brazilian regulations rule that a suspension must be served in the same competition, or a competition organised by the same body, in this case the Federação Mineira de Futebol. The players suspensions did not carry over to the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A or any other competition organised by the Brazilian Football Confederation, nor to continental competitions run by CONMEBOL.^[16]

The military police registered several criminal offences at the match, including a Cruzeiro fan racially abusing a security guard, a 14-year-old girl being hit by a flying glass, and the theft of a mobile phone. Tear gas was used to prevent a pitch invasion by Atlético Mineiro fans at the end of the game.^[17]