Desperate for a win after being held to a 1-1 draw by Switzerland in their opening fixture, Brazil looked like missing out on the three points when the decision to award Neymar a spot-kick was overturned in the 79th minute.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward went down softly under the challenge of Giancarlo Gonzalez, with referee Bjorn Kuipers initially pointing to the spot.
However, VAR intervention led to a reversal of the decision, as replays showed minimal contact between Gonzalez and Neymar, who had fallen backwards as if pulled down.
The incident came late on in a match Brazil dominated but in which for long spells they struggled to break down a determined Costa Rica defence.
However, with the clock having ticked past 90 minutes, Coutinho and Neymar stepped forward to break Costa Rican hearts and spare Brazilian blushes, sending their side top of Group E ahead of the clash between Serbia and Switzerland.
Neymar dropped to his knees in tears on the final whistle after the tournament’s most successful side came through a real test of character against a Costa Rica side whose hopes of progression are now over.
