Manchester City pair Bernardo Silva and Ruben Dias were involved in a furious exchange with Portugal supporters after suffering a shock defeat to the Republic of Ireland on Thursday.
Roberto Martinez's side were looking to seal qualification to the 2026 World Cup at the Aviva Stadium but succumbed to a 2-0 loss after a brace from AZ Alkmaar striker Troy Parrott.
To make matters worse, talisman and captain Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off for an elbow on Dara O'Shea in the second half - with his yellow card upgraded to red after a VAR review.
Having made a crying gesture, an incensed Ronaldo made a beeline for Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrimsson as he exited the pitch and appeared to blame him for "putting pressure on the referee".
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Sent off for the first time in his international career in his 226th appearance, Ronaldo could now be facing a suspension of two or three games depending on FIFA's decision in a huge blow for the UEFA Nations League winners.
Portugal remain at the top of Group F with 10 points ahead of their final game but could still miss out on automatic qualification and drop into the play-offs.
And tensions were high after the Ireland loss, with both Silva and Dias visibly unhappy with something in the away section.
In a clip which widely circulated on social media, Dias, wearing the captain's armband in Ronaldo's absence, was seen remonstrating with a spectator in the stands when the players came over to applaud the travelling support.
He pointed to an individual and looked to perform a "seeing" gesture. When he walked away, Silva had a brief conversation with his teammate and then also proceeded to have a similarly fiery exchange with somebody in the same section.
Joao Felix attempted to diffuse the situation by trying to hold Silva back but the City captain was not letting up and after brushing off the former Chelsea forward, moved closer to vent.
A second angle showed members of the Portugal side right near the bottom row in the stands, with no exact word on what caused the argument.
Portugal can still decide their own fate as if they beat Armenia in Porto on Sunday, they will secure a place at the 48-team World Cup in North America.
However, they could be without Ronaldo for their first two group games if a violent conduct charge is brought to him by FIFA.
Topics: Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, Portugal
Josh Lawless