South Korea's blockbuster injury-time goal against Portugal meant they joined fellow Asian Football Confederation (AFC) members Japan and Australia in the last 16, the first time three Asian teams had progressed from the group stage.
Australia was eliminated by Argentina, but Japan and Korea Republic line up tonight against Croatia and Brazil, respectively.
Despite the surprise in some football media, for close observers of the game in the region this performance had been a long time coming.
"Asia is growing so quickly," Socceroos Coach Graham Arnold said last week.
"People can sit back at home and their opinion is maybe Saudi Arabia is not that good, or Japan.
"Look at what they have done - beaten Argentina, beaten Germany."
Having made four consecutive World Cups through the Asian qualification route, Australia's status as a top nation in the AFC has become somewhat of a given.
But this belies the growing competitiveness of the region.
The Socceroos barely scraped through qualification for this year's tournament with a play-off victory over Peru on penalties after finishing behind Japan and Saudi Arabia.
Arnold warns Australia could be left behind if the investment of other AFC nations isn't matched.
"Asia is throwing a lot of money into football and we need to catch up," he said.
But the Socceroos have also benefited from the ascendancy of the game in Asia.
Two Australian players, Thomas Deng and Mitch Duke, ply their trade in Japan's domestic leagues.
With his deft header against Tunisia, Duke became the first player from the second tier of Japanese football to score at a World Cup.
Despite missing out on the knockout stages, Saudi Arabia shocked the world by beating Lionel Messi's Argentina at the start of the tournament.
Japan earned sensational victories over former winners Germany and Spain, while fellow Asian side Iran also impressed in their victory over Wales.
With the notable exception of hosts Qatar, all AFC nations have been competitive.
The next World Cup's expanded 48-team format will see an extra four spots for Asian sides, reflecting a growing power shift in the world game.
You can watch Japan play Croatia from 1.30am AEDT on SBS and SBS On Demand (kickoff 2.00am), while Korea Republic take on Brazil from 5.30am AEDT on SBS and SBS On Demand (kickoff 6.00am).
