Brazil 1 Belgium 2: Kevin De Bruyne screamer and Fernandinho own goal set-up tasty semi-final clash with France

BYE-BYE Brazil. The beautiful game now belongs to Belgium.

The Samba Boys are widely-known as the purveyors of "jogo bonito".

But the five-time World Cup winners were jogging home last night after being brutally beaten by the new masters of the art.

This exit was not on the same humiliating scale as four years ago, when Brazil were battered 7-1 to Germany in a semi-final in their own backyard.

Yet defeat will be no less painful and, come Qatar, it will be 20 years since their last World Cup final.

For brilliant Belgium, though, this was a coming of age. Back in Brussels, this quarter-final clash had been billed as "the match of the century".

And even Vincent Kompany admitted it was a “defining game” for his generation.

Well, they will never forget this night in Kazan, as a Fernandinho own goal and a Kevin De Bruyne stunner sent them into just their second World Cup semi-final.

Of course, Belgium, who have never won a tournament, will rightly believe they can make more history over the next nine days.

And make no mistake, last-four opponents France will be scared stiff about facing Roberto Martinez’s rampant Red Devils.

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How could you not be when De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard are in this frightening form? They are the tournament’s top scorers with 14 goals.

And they are bullying every backline in sight right now - especially when they hit opponents on the break.

Remember, Belgium only got to this stage after they raced away from a corner in the last minute of their second-round tie with Japan.

And their clincher last night was off exactly the same page.

Marouane Fellaini headed away a Neymar corner and then Lukaku, picking the ball up ten yards outside his own box, burst past two Brazilians through the middle of the park.

The Manchester United striker then laid it off to De Bruyne, who fired off a stunning strike from the edge of the box which whistled in to the left corner.

It was perfection on what was pretty much perfect night for Belgium, who had to cling on for their dear lives after Renato Augusto’s headed in 14 minutes from time.

And how manager Martinez must have been delighted as his tactical tweaks paid off in spades.

The Spaniard started Fellaini and Nacer Chadli, the two subs who bailed Belgium out with goals in their incredible comeback win over Japan.

That at last allowed De Bruyne to get further forward - and boy, did the Manchester City man make the most of it.

Maybe things would have been different if Brazil had got the opener they so nearly did, when Neymar’s corner struck the unmarked Thiago Silva’s knee and came back off the post.

But it was not to be and Brazil’s defence, which had conceded just once in their first four games here, was breached inside 13 minutes, as Chadli’s inswinging corner brushed in off the bicep of Fernandinho.

It was cruel for Fernandinho, who was making his first start of the World Cup in place of the suspended Casemiro.

And it would have brought back nightmares of his horror show four years ago in that loss to Germany.

The Selecao knew they could not fall to the same fate and desperately tried to reverse what already looked inevitable, with Marcelo firing a shot off at Thibaut Courtois.

Yet to their sheer shock, Belgium doubled their lead after 31 minutes through that brilliant breakaway.

Again, Tite’s side tried to rally - the unmarked Jesus heading wide from Marcelo’s cross, and Philippe Coutinho forcing a save out of Courtois.

But Belgium looked like scoring every time they were in Brazil’s half, and De Bruyne had a free-kick tipped over by Alisson, who also had to keep out Kompany’s flick from Chadli’s corner.

Neymar tried to get things going for Brazil but was only successful in producing a hopeless dive for a penalty which referee Milorad Mazic saw straight through.

The next decision the whistler had to make was not quite as clearcut.

Jesus went down under contact from Kompany but he was heading straight out of play and VAR did not deem it to be a clear and obvious spot-kick.

Roared on by their ear-splitting support, Brazil did get one back when Augusto headed in a sublime cross from Philippe Coutinho.

And Augusto could - and probably should - have levelled things up when he found space on the edge of the box but dragged his effort off target.

Coutinho then also blazed over and Courtois had to tip over a curling Neymar strike.

But it was not to be for Brazil - beaten at their own game by the new entertainers in town.