"Hi Chris, can you go out to Qatar and take photos of people's backs please?"

Chris Bevan
BBC Sport at Al Janoub Stadium, Qatar

Image source, BBC Sport

It's not quite on the same scale as at your average Argentina game but the number on the back of all the Croatia shirts in this stadium is the same set of double digits sported by Messi and Maradona.

The name starts with the same initial and, yes, he is a little magician too...

Image source, BBC Sport

Croatia have lost only two of their eight World Cup knockout games (W4 D2), and they progressed from the two drawn matches on penalties - both in 2018.

Only Germany (8/8), France (6/6 after yesterday) and Croatia (2/2) have played more than one World Cup last 16 tie without being eliminated at this stage.

Image source, Reuters

Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic admitted he did not think they would be playing Japan today when Alvaro Morata put Spain 1-0 up against the Asian side.

"When Spain scored the opening goal, I thought Japan were finished, but they never gave up and deserved their victory," Dalic said.

"The fact that Germany, Belgium and Denmark have all been eliminated illustrates just how strong other teams have been at this World Cup.

"In the past, I might have picked Japan as an opponent that we would want to play, but they have defeated both Germany and Spain. This certainly will not be an easy game for us."

Shaimaa Khalil
BBC News, Doha

Japan have been an astounding presence in this World Cup.

But the Samurai Blue are taking nothing for granted as they prepare to face Croatia.

"It's another wall they have to break," Japanese sports journalist Kumi Kinohara told me.

"We'll have to keep our fingers crossed. But I want to see them play in their own style."

The Asia Pacific teams have been fearless on the pitch and have given their fans a lot to cheer for. Their performances so far have left some of the football powerhouses like Germany, Spain and Portugal in shock.

Read more here.

Simon Gleave
Head of sports analysis, Nielsen Gracenote

Image source, Gracenote

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 Germany in 1966 and France beating Croatia in 2018, every World Cup final was between two of France, Germany, Argentina, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy and Brazil.

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

Japan averaged only 32% possession across their three group games. Their two wins over Spain and Germany 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 Germany, 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 Germany 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.