Brazil substitute Gabriel Martinelli struck in stoppage time to complete a thrilling 2-1 comeback win over Japan in the World Cup last 32 on Monday.
Record five-times winners Brazil, whose World Cup title drought stands at 24 years, had gone behind to Mainz midfielder Kaishū Sano's first international goal just before the half-hour mark.
Brazil looked stunned but returned for the second half with renewed vigour and starlet Endrick off the bench.
Casemiro had a header cleared off the line but moments later headed in the leveller from Gabriel's cross having just avoided being offside.
The 56-minute equalizer was quickly followed by Vinícius Júnior hitting the post after a wavy run to thrill the Brazil fans inside the cavernous Houston stadium.
Brazil kept probing and Japan could not get out of their half, yet the Samurai Blue rearguard looked like it might force extra-time.
But Arsenal winger Martinelli found a modicum of space in the box and his effort went in off the post five minutes into injury time.
In the last 16 in New Jersey on Sunday, Carlo Ancelotti’s Seleção face Ivory Coast or Norway. Their last-32 game is on Tuesday.
Ancelotti said: "I think the win was deserved, even in the first half we played well. In the second half we had even more of the game.
We have a strong team and irrespective of who plays, the players are on a high individual level."
Since last lifting the trophy in 2002, once mighty Brazil have gone out in four quarter-finals and in the semis of their 2014 home tournament after a 7-1 mauling by Germany.
Laid siege
If they do not win the World Cup in North America, the 2030 edition will mark Brazil's longest run without the men's trophy since the same gap before their first success in 1958.
Their wait looked set to go on at half-time following Sano's superb opener. He charged forward after Brazil lost the bal and then backed off, allowing him to place his shot into the corner of the net from just outside the area.
It was far from vintage Brazil, who had topped their group with seven points without being brilliant.
But the recruitment of storied Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, the first foreigner to coach the Seleção, paid off in the form of his half-time team talk and actions at the break.
Endrick's introduction for midfielder Lucas Paqueta was a clear attacking move and Ancelotti's side came out flying.
Brazil laid siege to the Japan goal and it was no surprise when they equalized and eventually prevailed thanks to Martinelli's first World Cup goal.
Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu, whose side beat Brazil 3-2 in a Tokyo friendly last year, made four changes to the starting XI from their last group game when they drew 1-1 with Sweden.
It initially appeared to have worked perfectly.
Japan had finished second in their group and some Brazil fans at the interval were no doubt wondering about the vagaries of this expanded tournament, given other group winners are playing teams who finished third in their pools instead.
But in the end, Japan's best finish at a men's World Cup remains the first knock-out round.
