Day 12 - the penultimate day of the group phase and a couple of the big hitters are vulnerable.
In Group F, we have a match-up which could easily have been the final four years ago - this time around, much, much older and more wizened, they do actually meet in very different circumstances.
In Group E, in the evening games, the 2014 champions, in serious bother after the opening round of games, have a chance to properly avail of their good fortune at the weekend.
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We could see a big fish harpooned this afternoon as Belgium likely need a win against the 2018 finalists to book their place in the knockout phase. Otherwise, they're probably gone. Disconcertingly, one almost suspects the senior Belgian players wouldn't be too heartbroken by this outcome.
So far, the Belgians have shuffled around the place like men who'd rather be anywhere else in the world. The high-point of their golden generation was reaching the World Cup semi-final four years ago, where they were edged out by France in a dreary game.
Usually, when a team is described as "too old", it is cold-eyed journalists doing the describing and the players in question commonly feel the need to rage against the dying of the light to prove their critics wrong.
But in Belgium's case, rather bizarrely, it is the players themselves who are pushing this narrative, which doesn't feel like a terribly healthy situation.
"No chance, we're too old," was the infamous verdict of their greatest player Kevin De Bruyne, when asked about their prospects of winning the World Cup following the Canada game.
We've had indications that this curiously blunt and negative message didn't go down terribly well in the dressing room.
After the Morocco loss, centre-half Jan Vertonghen sounded rather peeved at the situation, snapping that Belgium may indeed be too old, albeit not in his part of the pitch.
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"There's so much going through my mind right now, things I shouldn’t say in the open air," the ex-Spurs defender said. "Where did it go wrong? We probably also attack badly because we are too old, that must be it now, surely?"
Captain Eden Hazard denied there was a rift in the dressing room on Tuesday,
"We had a good talk among the players," Hazard said. "A lot has been said. We talked for an hour about good things and less good things. Now we want to win against Croatia. We now have two days to prepare. We have to be ready.
"I spoke to Kevin De Bruyne, he does believe in the group," he added, pointedly.
Belgium manager Roberto Martinez, for his part, dismissed that chatter as "fake news" and seemed especially worried about the older generation being suckered into believing it.
"You've got some auld lads (he really did pronounce it auld) in Belgium that are quite happy to jump on fake news. It is astonishing.
"It's made the group aware that the less you listen to the noise outside, the better."
There were widespread suggestions that the Croatians were too old - their finest player is 37 - but they appear a far happier and more united squad.
Nothing does more for team unity than an external enemy firing pot-shots.
Croatia were in particularly vindictive mood when trampling all over Canadian dreams on Sunday afternoon. Canada's all-too-quotable English gaffer John Herdman was heard to tell his players in the post-match huddle following their loss to Belgium that they were going to "f**k Croatia".
Following their 4-1 win, Croatia striker Andrej Kramaric, who bagged two goals on the night, thanked Herdman for the motivation, adding that Croatia had demonstrated "who f**ked whom". The interpreter didn't flinch when imparting the message, in fairness to her.
Form indicates that Croatia - who only require a draw to progress - are justly installed as favourites, though they need to be mindful of a Belgium backlash.
"It's very difficult to go into the game looking just for a point, that’s not our mentality," said Nikola Vlasic. "We need to go for a win because if you just look for a point, you concede a goal and you are in panic mode all of a sudden. So we are going for the win."
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The Moroccans are buoyant following their stunning win over Belgium, which they celebrated raucously at home and abroad. They've yet to concede a goal in 180 minutes (+ extensive injury-time) and only need a draw against the already eliminated Canadians to progress.
It's already looking like a relatively successful tournament for the CAF nations. In the past four World Cups, only Ghana (twice), Nigeria and Algeria made it past group phase. No African nation made the knockout stage in Russia.
This time around, Senegal have already nailed down a last-16 spot, while Ghana are also in with a strong shout, likely only needing a point against Uruguay. Cameroon's prospects are somewhat more remote, with Brazil looming in their final group game.
Never before have three African sides made it to the knockout stages of a World Cup. Morocco themselves last made it that far in 1986, after dispatching Portugal and holding Bobby Robson's England in the first round.
The 'Atlas Lions' boss Walid Regragui is wary of a Canadian team "with nothing to lose" and says his team will be switched on. They will likely have first choice goalkeeper Yassine Bounou available again. There was considerable confusion after Bounou was swapped out for reserve Munir Mohamedi between the anthems and the kick-off, after complaining of "feeling dizzy."
Canada's exuberant opening round performance against Belgium has been placed in less flattering perspective by the latter's listlessness at the weekend and the early excitement sparked by Alphonso Davies' first minute goal against Croatia curdled badly as they were given the run-around in the second half.
By the end, they were a bit of rabble and might have conceded more than they did, as the Croatians exploited the space at the back.
After Qatar, they were the second team to be formally dumped out. Unlike in their only other World Cup in Mexico '86, they did at least manage a goal this time, their Munich based talisman Davies powering home a brilliant header in the first 90 seconds on Sunday.
In his post-match interview with Canadian TV, where he was treated to some rather generously framed questions - "Alphonso, you just saw your team push the World Cup runners-up!" - Davies finished by insisting that Canada were determined not to depart Qatar with zero in the points column.
"The next game - we have to get the three points," he announced.
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Germany are indebted to the Costa Ricans for keeping them in the tournament but now they must look out for themselves.
Keysher Fuller may be saluted tonight by the opposition supporters, as befitting his status as a Costa Rican Gary Mackay. At the very least, he should be treated to a case-load of Erdinger from the DfB once the tournament is over. In a lesser-known incident in Irish football, Turlough O'Connor was once sent a crate load of Rioja after scoring the winner for Ireland in Czechoslovakia, a result which sent Spain to the next phase of the Euros in 1967-68.
Costa Rica recovered from their unmerciful pasting in the opening match with an upset win over Japan, Fuller scoring the only goal nine minutes from time with - a stat that has received wide airing in the last few days - their only shot on target of the tournament so far.
It was a lovely redemption for the Costa Ricans, after the humiliation against Spain. They do have a proud modern history in the World Cup, famously beating Scotland and qualifying out of the group in Italia 90, and then topping England's group at the 2014 World Cup.
Amazingly, after the 7-0 loss to Spain, a draw will likely assure Costa Rica of a place in the knockouts.
It may yet be a nervy evening for the Germans, though most are betting they'll get through in second spot, having gotten their reprieve at the weekend.
They pummelled the Japanese for long stretches, without scoring and then paid the price for some cavalier defending late on.
Their hero against Spain, Nicolas Fullkrug, is a source of some fascination, as one of the oldest debutants in the country's football history and having spent a fair portion of his senior career in the second tier of the German game.
Even if the worst happens and the Germans are eliminated, manager Hansi Flick insists it won't affect his future with the team.
"I have a contract until 2024, I'm looking forward to the home European Championship, but that's a long time away," Flick said this week. As regards tonight's game, the German manager expects Costa Rica to be "very defensive."
The game will be historic in one respect at least. For the first time ever in a men's World Cup game, an all-female refereering team will officiate, France's Stephanie Frappart holding the whistle.
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Niclas Fullkrug's thunderous goal was needed on a couple of levels. While enhancing Germany's prospects of progression directly, it also meant that Spain couldn't treat their final group game lightly.
Luis Enrique's side looked like the slickest, most stylish team around as they riddled the poor Costa Ricans in the opening round - like watching Spain circa, 2008-12.
Pedri, Marco Asensio and the teenage whizz Gavi were rampant as Spain announced themselves as contenders.
They weren't able to slot into a similar groove against Germany, Hansi Flick's side chasing and hustling for their lives. However, an expected win against Japan will see them through as group winners.
After the euphoria of their opening game, Japan might have assumed they would be in a better place heading into tonight's game.
Based on the camera shots, the Japanese contingent in Qatar were utterly crestfallen after the Costa Rica game, fearing that they'd blown their chance, undoing their stellar work in the opening match.
Manager Hajime Moriyasu was minded to stress the positive after the jolt against Costa Rica.
"We are going for the win, that is all we need to think about.
"Beating Germany doesn't mean we can beat Spain, both teams have won the World Cup and we have a lot of respect for them, but we did beat Germany."
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