Brazil finally arrived at their own World Cup party with a champagne display of attacking football as they beat Cameroon 4-1 at the Estadio Nacional.
Fittingly the 100th goal of the tournament fell to Neymar in Brazil's 100th World Cup match, the inspirational playmaker scoring the first two of Brazil's goals in a sparkling performance to set up a meeting with Chile in the next round.
Cameroon's World Cup started badly with losses to Mexico and Croatia and they again went downhill early on with the Indomitable Lions having answer to Neymar and co.
However they still threatened on the break creating numerous chances in the first half, with Joel Matip scoring their first goal of the tournament to equalise after Neymar's opener.
But Neymar added a second shortly after and Fred's header following the break and Fernandinho's late strike sealed the result for the hosts in front of a delirious and raucous crowd.
Brazil attacked from the whistle, Hulk bursting down the right to draw a foul from Henri Bedimo near the byline.
Cameroon cleared but a long straight ball from Dani Alves found Neymar completely unmarked behind the back four and his slide-rule pass found the onrushing Hulk, who squared for Paulinho only for the Spurs midfielder to see his shot blocked from eight yards by Allan Nyom.
Brazil were dominating possession and territory and it looked inevitable they would score first, but on nine minutes Cameroon made a lightning raid up the left and the ball broke to Vincent Aboubakar on the edge of the box, his shot blocked by David Luiz.
But on 16 minutes Brazil took the lead, Luiz Gustavo intercepting the ball on the left and sending a low, driven ball across the box to Neymar who opened up his body and slotted the ball into the bottom corner for his third goal in three matches.
And he could have had a second shortly after, hammering a powerful volley straight at Charles Itandje from 20 yards, the keeper pushing the ball away.
Fred then had a glorious opportunity to open his World Cup account as Oscar robbed Stephane Mbia and played in Paulinho but the striker couldn't convert his low ball into the six-yard box, Itandje grabbing it at the second attempt after a fantastic challenge from Henri Bedimo.
But despite being completely at sea at the back Cameroon still posed a threat on the break, Eyong Enoh seeing his shot deflected narrowly wide for a corner from which Matip hit the bar.
Brazil failed to clear and paid the price, Nyom disposing Alves and firing the ball across to the unmarked Matip to score his first goal for Cameroon from two yards on 26 minutes.
Cameroon were only level for eight minutes, however, Brazil's golden boy Neymar pouncing on another defensive mistake to make it 2-1 and move sixth on the country's all-time scoring charts with 35 in 52 games.
Given room to drive in from the right he jinked onto his right foot and slotted a low shot past the prostrate Itandje.
Hulk at one end and Eric Choupo-Moting at the other both went close with shots to the near post as the chances continued to flow but the half ended without any further scoring, although Hulk had a glorious chance to score one of the great World Cup goals when he scooped over the bar following an intricate move.
Luiz Felipe Scolari, looking to be just the second coach after Italy's Vittorio Pozzo in the 1930s to win two World Cups, brought on Manchester City's Fernandinho for Paulinho at the interval but it didn't affect Brazil's attacking intent.
Fernandinho pilfered the ball in midfield and set Hulk free but a fantastic last-ditch tackle from Bedimo prevented him pulling the trigger before Itandje pushed away Fred's rasping diagonal shot from outside the box.
Itandje then threw up both hands to push a Neymar free-kick out for a corner from under his bar.
Fernandinho was making a huge impact, sending a raking diagonal over to Neymar whose ball into the box fell back to him to set up Luiz.
And his cross from the left was headed home by Fred for his 18th goal for his country.
Brazil threw on Willian for Neymar with 19 minutes remaining, a precautionary step after the little maestro jarred his knee.
And Fernandinho rounded off the goalscroring after finishing off a neat one-touch passing move by toe-poking the ball past Itandje with six minutes left to play.
