It will go down as a World Cup classic, a wild and chaotic game that will be talked about in years to come, in particular those dramatic final seconds when Belgium went from one end of the pitch to the other in the blink of an eye to score the goal that completed a remarkable comeback and broke Japan’s hearts.

Thibaut Courtois, who had started that counterattack by claiming a corner, charged out of his area to embrace Roberto Martínez, the coach, and anyone tuning in at that moment could have been forgiven for thinking that Belgium had just won the World Cup. There were raucous scenes as Nacer Chadli, the scorer of the winning goal, was mobbed by his teammates while Martínez and Courtois danced on the pitch.

Belgium’s elation was understandable on so many levels. Two goals down with 21 minutes remaining, they looked like they would be suffering the same fate as Germany, Spain, Portugal and Argentina. Instead, Belgium created a little bit of history by becoming the first team to come from two goals down to win a World Cup knockout match since 1970, when West Germany beat England in a quarter-final.

Yet it was not just the prize – a World Cup quarter-final against Brazil on Friday – or the comeback that made this victory so special; it was the timing of the winning goal, too. The clock had ticked into the last of four minutes of added time when Chadli connected with Thomas Meunier’s cross, leaving Japan, who played with such courage and belief throughout, with barely enough time to take the kick-off.

The final whistle sounded seconds later and the contrast in emotions was extraordinary. As Belgium rejoiced, the Japan players collapsed. Some were in tears; others beat the floor in frustration. They had played superbly and contributed so much to a pulsating second half of football, giving Belgium the fright of their lives in the process, yet ultimately Akira Nishino and his players had nothing to show for it. It seemed cruel on so many levels and Nishino, the coach, seemed to blame himself afterwards for not doing more to prevent Chadli’s goal.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Nacer Chadl guides in Belgium’s winning goal at the end of a breathtaking breakaway. Photograph: Hassan Ammar/AP

Chasing a winner at one end after being pegged back to 2-2, Japan left themselves exposed to a brilliant counter-attack that saw Kevin De Bruyne, released by Courtois, carry the ball upfield for at least 60 yards. There were red shirts everywhere but De Bruyne, who had been a peripheral figure for much of the evening, chose just the right moment to feed Meunier on the right. Romelu Lukaku selflessly allowed Meunier’s low cross to run through to Chadli and with the goal yawning inviting in front of him, the substitute was never going to miss.

What a moment. What a turnaround. The script had been written for another World Cup shock when Japan raced into a 2-0 goal lead early in the second half. Genki Haraguchi scored with a lovely arrowed finish and, four minutes later, Japan were in dreamland when the gifted Takashi Inui scored a splendid second. Martínez looked to the heavens at that point.

Inspiration, however, came from the substitutes’ bench rather than up above. The introduction of Chadli and Marouane Fellaini, who scored the equaliser after Jan Vertonghen’s header had reduced the deficit, shifted the momentum of the game in Belgium’s favour, just at a time when it looked as though Japan might go on to get a third. Not that Martínez tried to take any credit for the changes.

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“Today is not a day to speak about systems,” he said. “The reality is that we went 2-0 down, then you have to find solutions and reactions, but more than anything you have to find the desire and togetherness as a group of players to perform. If you look at the stats there are not many games when you can recover from 2-0 down in a World Cup. So I think this is down to the personality, the focus, the desire and the never-say-die attitude of this group of players, and also the belief of the players when they came on.”

Martínez felt that Belgium played “almost with a fear” before going 2-0 down and went on to suggest that his team may have been weighed down by the “tag of being favourites” to go through. Either way, Japan deserve huge credit for delivering such a stirring performance.

Haraguchi’s goal, set up by the impressive Shinji Kagawa, was taken exceptionally well, although Brazil will surely have noted the way in which Vertonghen was beaten for pace and badly exposed positionally. Inui’s goal was even better, with the winger curling an exquisite shot from outside the area beyond Courtois.

Eden Hazard hit a post between those two goals and Lukaku’s glancing header slid agonisingly wide but Belgium got the bit of luck they probably deserved when Vertonghen’s header looped over Eiji Kawashima, the Japan keeper.

Five minutes later Belgium were level. Hazard floated over a cross that Fellaini emphatically headed home to set up a frantic finale that saw chances come and go at both ends before Chadli scored right at the death.