RECIFE, Brazil — Costa Rica followed up its surprise win over Uruguay with another upset World Cup victory on Friday, beating four-time champion Italy 1-0 to secure a spot in the next round and eliminate England in the process.

Costa Rica captain Bryan Ruiz scored in the 44th minute, heading in off the underside of the crossbar following a cross from Junior Diaz.

Goal-line technology was used to show that the ball bounced down and in after hitting the bar.

There was a frenetic end to the first half, as moments before Ruiz’s goal Costa Rica had a penalty appeal waved away when striker Joel Campbell was bundled over by Giorgio Chiellini.

Costa Rica leads Group D with six points, while Italy and Uruguay have three each. So after entering the tournament as an expected underdog in a group featuring three former world champions, Costa Rica is now on top.

“Maybe there are a lot of people who didn’t have faith in us because we were in the `Group of Death’. But the dead are the other ones and we’re going to the next round,” Ruiz said.

France 5, Switzerland 2

SALVADOR, Brazil — Forwards Olivier Giroud and Karim Benzema each scored one goal and created another as a rampant France thrashed Switzerland on Friday to take control of Group E and all but seal a place in the next round.

France has six points with a game remaining against Ecuador, which moved into second place — edging Switzerland on goal difference — with a win over Honduras.

Giroud and Blasie Matuidi scored a minute apart and Mathieu Valbuena added another to give France a 3-0 halftime lead.

Benzema made up for a first-half penalty miss with a poacher’s finish in the 67th, and then turned provider for Moussa Sissoko, who made it 5-0 with a neat side-footed effort in the 73rd.

Switzerland pulled back two consolation goals, with Blerim Dzemaili sending a free kick under the defensive wall in the 81st and Granit Xhaka slotting in the second in the 87th.

Benzema thought he had scored his second — and the goal of the night — but his curling, first-time strike wasn’t allowed because Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers blew his whistle for full time just seconds before the shot.

Ecuador 2, Honduras 1

CURITIBA, Brazil — Ecuador forward Enner Valencia scored two goals in a comeback victory over Honduras that kept his team in contention at the World Cup.

Ecuador moved into second spot in Group E on three points — ahead of Switzerland on goal difference — with a game remaining against group-leading France, which has tallied eight goals and conceded two in a pair of dominating wins.

Honduras took the lead in the 31st minute with its first World Cup goal in 32 years when Carlo Costly latched onto a long ball following a misjudgment from Ecuador defender Jorge Guagua. The goal ended a 511-minute drought that stretched back to the 1982 World Cup.

Valencia equalized three minutes later, tapping in with his left foot from close range after Brayan Beckeles failed to clear a cross.