ITALY 0 COSTA RICA 1
Costa Rica cast aside their status as Group D minnows to inflict a surprise defeat on Italy and in doing so bring an abrupt end to England's World Cup.
Bryan Ruiz's impressive header was enough as the Ticos won 1-0 to become the first team to guarantee qualification from Group D.
Italy and Uruguay will battle it out for the other qualification spot - the Azzurri need only a draw - but England will only be playing for pride in Belo Horizonte on Tuesday.
Costa Rica showed their 3-1 win over Uruguay was no fluke as they took the game to Italy in impressive style.
Celso Borges headed over from a corner early on, but it was Italy's Mario Balotelli who had the best of the chances in the first half-hour.
First, Andrea Pirlo's glorious ball over the top dropped perfectly for Balotelli, who controlled it with one touch and then lofted it over the on-rushing keeper Keylor Navas but it bounced well-wide and the former Manchester City striker held his head in his hands.
Two minutes later and Balotelli was in again, this time he went for power but too close to Navas, and the Costa Rica keeper was able to claim at the second attempt.
With half-time looming, Costa Rica were denied a blatant penalty.
Joel Campbell, the Arsenal striker on loan at Olympiakos, intercepted a pass, surged into the penalty box and was knocked over from behind by Giorgio Chiellini but Chilean referee Enrique Osses inexplicably waved 'play on'.
Costa Rica did not let that put them off their stride however and Junior Diaz' exceptional cross from the left saw Fulham striker Ruiz, leaving his marker Chiellini in no man's land, thump a far-post header in off the crossbar. It bounced a foot over the line but goal-line technology ensured there was not another travesty of justice.
Italy upped their game after the break, realising defeat would leave them vulnerable against Uruguay, with Parma striker Antonio Cassano coming on for defensive midfielder Thiago Motta.
Balotelli claimed a penalty of his own under challenge from Oscar Duarte, but it was not nearly so clear-cut as Costa Rica's the referee once again turned away.
Italy mounted a series of attacks but Navas was having a blinder in the Costa Rica goal, first tipping over Matteo Darmian's angled drive, and then turning aside Pirlo's free-kick after Cassano had hurled himself to the floor to earn it.
Costa Rica still looked dangerous on the break and Gianluigi Buffon had to be quick out of his goal to clear the danger with Campbell about to pounce.
Italy continued to hustle and bustle but the Ticos kept the danger away from their goal, while at the other end Chiellini's block denied substitute Marcos Urena.
Randall Brenes was a yard away from scoring a sensational second in injury time but it mattered not - Costa Rica were through and England's fate was sealed.
England's World Cup hopes are over, with Costa Rica's surprise defeat of Italy condemning them to a first group stage exit since 1958.
Roy Hodgson's side impressed but ultimately fell short in their opening match against Italy, before Luis Suarez inspired Uruguay to victory in Sao Paulo on Thursday evening.
It left the Three Lions needing Italy to win their final two Group D matches, while hoping they themselves ended up with a better goal difference than Uruguay and Costa Rica.
However, England will now head to Belo Horizonte next Tuesday for their final match against Los Ticos with their fate sealed after the Azzurri fell to a shock defeat in Recife.
Bryan Ruiz's first-half header earned Costa Rica a 1-0 win and saw them through the last 16, extinguishing any hope England had of avoiding an embarrassing group exit in the process.
It is the first time in 56 years England have fallen at this stage, with that World Cup squad the only one younger than the current crop.
The Three Lions' other group-stage exit came in 1950 - the previous time the tournament was held in Brazil - and, while they approached the tournament more in home than expectation, their early exit rankles.
The general consensus heading into the tournament was that it could not be any worse than the under-achievement in South Africa four years ago.
However, defeats to Italy and Uruguay coupled with surprise package Costa Rica means it has been just that, with the inquest that follows unlikely to make pretty reading for the Football Association or Hodgson.
The Three Lions boss said after the Uruguay defeat that he would resign and looks to stay in his job, having been given the backing of FA chairman Greg Dyke before their exit was confirmed.
"We're supportive of Roy Hodgson, we've asked him to stay as manager," Dyke told reporters.
When asked by Sky Sports News if he felt Hodgson would remain in his job until the end of his contract at the 2016 European Championships, Dyke added: "That is the view of myself, of everybody else here (in Brazil) and of others in the FA."
As well as Dyke, Hodgson retains the full support of FA board members Sir Trevor Brooking, Alex Horne and Adrian Bevington, who installed him as Fabio Capello's successor two years ago.
They have seen enough promise in Brazil to believe that Hodgson is the right man to take England through to Euro 2016, which is being held in France.
"Everybody thought we played really well in the first game and narrowly lost," Dyke said when asked why England had lost both their opening World Cup games for the first time in history.
"In the second game it could have gone either way. We were not humiliated or anything like that.
"They were narrow defeats, but it is for the football people, not for me to identify why we did not win."
England have shown some flashes of attacking flair in Brazil, thanks to the exploits of youngsters Raheem Sterling, Ross Barkley and Daniel Sturridge.
Ever since he took on the job of FA chairman, Dyke has targeted victory at the 2022 World Cup.
When he was asked whether that target was still attainable, Dyke said: "Yes, I do, but I think it means lots of changes in English football.
"I think there is a real chance that we can develop and win in 2022 - that is the aim."