Two Portuguese stars confront fans after shocking defeat

Ruben Dias (left) in Portugal's loss to Ireland.

Portugal endured a chaotic night in Dublin in their 2026 World Cup qualifiers. A 2-0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland denied Roberto Martinez's side a place in North America. But what made the evening worse was a clash between Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva and a group of home fans in the Aviva.

After the final whistle, the Portuguese players walked towards the fans to thank them. However, the disappointment in the stands quickly turned to boos. Dias initially applauded, but then became angry at something in the crowd. He stopped walking and appeared tense.

Bernardo Silva was also caught up in the incident. Joao Felix tried to hold him back, but the Man City midfielder pushed his teammates aside and headed straight towards the protesting fans. He pointed at them, as if to say he had taken note of those who had attacked the team. Silva then rushed to the edge of the stands, waving his arms in frustration before being pulled back by his teammates.

The incident reflected a night of pressure for Portugal, who are the reigning Nations League champions but have been eliminated in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024. Now they have unexpectedly stumbled against a rebuilding Ireland.

The focus of the match was still on Cristiano Ronaldo's red card. The 40-year-old superstar was sent off after swinging his arm at Dara O'Shea. Portuguese media said Ronaldo left the team camp that night and returned to Saudi Arabia. He was suspended for the match against Armenia so he was no longer required to play, but his departure immediately created a lot of controversy.

Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrímsson revealed that Ronaldo came forward and said he was pressuring the referee. Meanwhile, coach Roberto Martinez defended his player, saying the red card was too harsh and that Ronaldo’s actions looked “worse than they actually were” because of the camera angle.

This defeat not only slowed Portugal down in the World Cup race but also pushed the internal tension to an unprecedented level. Martinez has to deal with more than just a disappointing match.

Source: https://znews.vn/hai-ngoi-sao-bo-dao-nha-doi-dau-cdv-sau-tran-thua-soc-post1602898.html