The Netherlands scored twice in the dying minutes through Wesley Sneijder and a Klaas Jan Huntelaar penalty to move into the quarter-finals of the World Cup with a 2-1 win against Mexico.

Costa Rica, meanwhile, made history with a dramatic 5-3 penalty win over Greece after scores were locked at one all after two periods of extra time.

In a match conditioned by the baking heat and humidity in Fortaleza, Giovani dos Santos looked to have Mexico on the way to their first quarter-final appearance on foreign soil when he opened the scoring three minutes into the second-half.

However, Sneijder levelled with a thumping volley from the edge of the area two minutes from time before Huntelaar converted from the spot in stoppage time after Rafael Marquez had upended Arjen Robben.

The Netherlands had been disrupted by an early injury to Nigel de Jong as he hobbled off to be replaced by Bruno Martins Indi.

Mexico’s Hector Herrera then had the clearest opening of the first 45 minutes as he collected Oribe Peralta’s pass on the edge of the area and cut inside before dragging a right-foot shot inches wide.

Dutch keeper Jasper Cillessen was then forced into his first save of the afternoon by a long-range effort from Carlos Salcido.

The Netherlands didn’t register an effort on target until the 26th minute when Robin van Persie skewed wide form a narrow angle after collecting Stefan de Vrij’s pass inside the area.

Both sides were then handed the chance to cool off for three minutes at the half-hour mark for the first time at a World Cup due to the searing temperatures.

Cillessen then made a fine stop to prevent dos Santos opening the scoring with a low effort.

However, the Netherlands were left aggrieved just a minute before the break when Robben appeared to have been clipped by Hector Moreno inside the area.

Mexico got off to a flying start in the second-half as Dos Santos held off a challenge from Daley Blind to thump home his first international goal in a competitive match for two years from 25 yards.

Oribe Peralta nearly made it 2-0 eight minutes later with a curling effort that Cillessen did well to claim at the first attempt.

Moments later it was Guillermo Ochoa who made an incredible stop to prevent Stefan de Vrij levelling as he turned the defender’s volley onto the post from point-blank range.

Sneijder then saw a deflected effort fly inches past as the Netherlands went in search of an equaliser.

Ochoa had to come to his side’s rescue again 17 minutes from time when Robben escaped the clutches of Marquez but saw his low effort turned behind by the Mexican stopper.

Dutch boss Louis van Gaal then surprisingly replaced captain Van Persie with Klaas Jan Huntelaar.

However, his decision was to prove inspired as firstly Huntelaar turned Robben’s corner in the direction of the lurking Sneijder to power home from the edge of the box on.

And after Robben was adjudged by Portuguese referee Pedro Proenca to have been clipped by Marquez in the fourth minute of stoppage time, the Schalke striker coolly stroked home the resulting penalty to eliminate Mexico at the last-16 stage for a sixth consecutive World Cup.

In today’s other match Bryan Ruiz has calmly guided 10-man Costa Rica through a tense penalty decider against Greece and into the World Cup quarter finals for the first time in the country’s history.

The Ticos’ captain scored the goal that put Costa Rica ahead and also put away his penalty as the Central Americans kept their nerve to win the decider 5-3 this morning.

The two sides were 1-1 after regulation time with Sokratis Papastathopoulos cancelling out Ruiz’s goal in injury time to force extra time which also ended in deadlock.

Fanis Gekas missed Greece’s fourth penalty and Michael Umana converted Costa Rica’s fifth to seal the historic victory.

Costa Rica looked on target to pick off a new European scalp when in the 52nd minute Christian Bolanos found Ruiz on the edge of the penalty area and the skipper turned the ball into the net.

The shot by Ruiz, whose headed goal sank Italy in the key Group D clash, was not powerful. But Greek goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis and his defence seemed to stand still and watch it go by.

The goal brought Greece out of their shells and the pressure began to tell on the Costa Ricans. Oscar Duarte brought down Jose Holebas in the 62nd minute and his second yellow card meant his immediate expulsion.

Greece poured forward but still Costa Rica held on and believed the game was theirs when Papastathopoulos struck in the second minute of injury time.

Gekas fired in a low shot which Keylor Navas could not hold and the Borussia Dortmund defender hit in an easy rebound.

Costa Rica play The Netherlands on July 6 (AEST) for a place in the semi-finals.