"Hi Chris, can you go out to Qatar and take photos of people's backs please">This is the only one of the eight quarter-finals to NOT feature one of the top seven ranked teams on Gracenote's world ranking. , external

Croatia are ranked 12th in the world by Gracenote's world ranking methodology and Japan are 18th. Both have risen sharply in 2022 with Croatia up 10 places from 22nd and Japan improving from 29th.

Most of those improvements were before the World Cup as they entered the competition in 14th and 21st respectively.

Gracenote's predictions give 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia 58% chance of reaching their third quarter-final in six appearances. Japan have 42% chance of reaching the last eight for the first time in seven attempts, having fallen at this stage three times before (2002, 2010, 2018).

This will be the third World Cup meeting between the sides.

Croatia won 1-0 in 1998 and they drew 0-0 in 2006, both in the group stage.

Their only other meeting saw Japan win a 4-3 thriller in the 1997 Kirin Cup Soccer - basically a friendly tournament.

Four years ago Croatia became the first real surprise team in a World Cup final since Czechoslovakia in 1962.

In between hosts England beating West in 1966 and beating Croatia in 2018, every World Cup final was between two of , , Argentina, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy and Brazil.

Could Croatia have a similar run again - or can Japan match the performances that saw them beat and Spain - and go all the way?

Japan averaged only 32% possession across their three group games. Their two wins over Spain and came with 18% and 26% possession respectively.

Image source, .

Japan are in the last 16 for the fourth time - but they have never been beyond this round.

In 2002 they were beaten by Turkey. In 2010 it was Paraguay - and four years ago Belgium beat them.

They are bidding to become the third Asian side to reach the quarter-finals - after North Korea in 1966 and South Korea in 2002.

Croatia got the point they needed in their final group game against Belgium to qualify for the knockout stages.

They also drew 0-0 with Morocco, as well as battering Canada 4-1.

Japan had a remarkable group stage to qualify for this game.

First they beat , ranked 11th in the world, 2-1. Then they lost 1-0 to Costa Rica, who are 31st in the world. And then beat the eighth top team Spain 2-1.

If they can beat and Spain, they should fancy their chances against anyone really.

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport at Al Janoub Stadium

Japan make three changes to the side that shocked Spain in their final group game.

Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu comes in, as do Wataru Endo and Ritsu Doan.

Kou Itakura, Ao Tanaka and Takefusa Kubo are the ones to make way.

Japan XI: Gonda, Ito, Tomiyasu, Yoshida, Taniguchi, Nagatomo, Endo, Morita, Doan, Kamada, Maeda.

Croatia make two changes to the side that drew 0-0 against Belgium, to send the world number two side home.

Rangers full-back Borna Barisic comes in, as does Bruno Petkovic up front.

Borna Sosa and Marko Livaja make way.

Croatia XI: Livakovic, Juranovic, Lovren, Gvardiol, Barisic, Brozovic, Modric, Kovacic, Perisic, Petkovic, Kramaric.

Shall we go straight to team news?

We shall.

Image source, PA Media

Japan have arguably been the story of the World Cup so far, beating two of the last three champions on their way to the knockout stages.

Croatia were the story of the last World Cup, reaching the final.

So the two of them head to head for a place in the quarter-finals - yes please. Welcome to live text, TV and radio of the fifth last-16 tie.