Costa Rica have struck three second-half goals to register a shock 3-1 win against Uruguay in tonight's World Cup Group D opener in Fortaleza.

The game was lively from the start, with both sides probing into the opposition's final third.

La Celeste thought that they were in the lead after 14 minutes when Diego Godin poked the ball into the Costa Rica net from a free kick, but the referee judged the 28-year-old to be offside.

Edinson Cavani had a chance to break the deadlock for his side just a minute later after the ball broke to him following a long Diego Forlan free kick, but he sliced his wayward volley well wide.

Eventually, the 2010 World Cup semi-finalists broke the deadlock when Diego Lugano was dragged to the ground in the Costa Rica box midway through the first half.

Cavani fired the resulting penalty low to the goalkeeper's left to send the Uruguay fans into raptures.

Costa Rica, determined to get back into the game, had several good chances of their own, most notably through Arsenal's Joel Campbell, who fired just over from 30 yards, and Giancarlo Gonzalez, who couldn't quite stretch enough to head the ball in at the back post from Bryan Ruiz's corner.

However, La Celeste nearly doubled their lead right at the end of the half when Forlan sent a ball looping towards goal, but Keylor Navas recovered in time to tip the ball acrobatically over the bar.

The Central American outfight's fightback began in the 54th minute when Campbell struck past Fernando Muslera following a dangerous cross from Cristian Gamboa.

Just two minutes later, Costa Rica were ahead when Oscar Duarte's diving header flew into the Uruguay net, much to the jubilation of their fans in the stadium.

Things were to get even better for Los Ticos, who had won just three matches at previous World Cups, as Marco Urena wrapped up the win in the final 10 minutes of the game.

Campbell sliced the Uruguay defence open with a left-footed cross for the Kuban Krasnodar striker to roll home from a tight angle and kick off more wild celebrations in the stands.

Frustration got the better of Maxi Pereira in the end, whose scything tackle on Campbell in the fourth minute of stoppage time earned him a straight red card.

The result puts Costa Rica top of Group D, with England and Italy to play later on this evening in Manaus.