Brazil football stars are under fire after footage appeared to show several players laughing at a Welcome to Country ceremony.

The squad had attended a traditional welcoming ceremony performed by the Wulgurukaba Walkabouts, an Aboriginal dance and cultural performance group from the Townsville region.

The ceremony took place on Thursday before Brazil faced the Socceroos in the first of two friendly matches in Australia. 

While most members of the squad watched in silence, several members could be seen on film appearing to laugh at the traditional dance.

Footage of the moment has since spread across social media and drawn criticism from fans.

Photos of the ceremony were shared on the Instagram profile of the Brazilian team, with the account labelling it a ‘special moment’ to kick off the team’s brief tour down under.

However, followers quickly took to the comments to vent their frustration with the apparent lack of respect shown by some players.

‘Respect is a two-way street. Don’t mock someone else’s culture’, one fan wrote.

Brazil football stars are under fire after footage appeared to show several players laughing at a Welcome to Country ceremony 

Brazilian fans dancing in the stands

‘What if it [were] our indigenous peoples? More respect’, said another.

‘Sometimes it’s embarrassing to be Brazilian, honestly,’ added another.

The controversy preceded a dramatic 1-1 draw between Australia and Brazil in Townsville on Friday night.

Australia went 1-0 up thanks to an incredible free-kick goal by Nestory Irankunda, but hopes of a historic victory were dashed when Brazilian substitute Rayan found the back of the net from a header to bring scores level in stoppage time.

The teams will play their second and final match of the series in Brisbane on Tuesday.

The Daily Mail has approached the Brazilian football team for comment.