This will be the third World Cup meeting between Japan and Croatia, with Japan winless and goalless in the previous two – a 0-1 defeat in 1998 and a goalless draw in 2006, both in the group stage. Those two matches are Croatia’s only previous World Cup games against an Asian nation.
Japan have won both of their 2022 World Cup matches against European nations, 2-1 wins over Spain and Germany in the group stage. They had only won two of their first 10 World Cup matches against European sides before this year (D3 L5).
Japan have reached the last 16 of the World Cup for a fourth time, including both of the last two editions. However, they have never progressed from this stage, going out to Turkey in 2002, Paraguay (on penalties) in 2010, and Belgium in 2018. The only Asian nations to reach the World Cup quarterfinals were DPR Korea in 1966 and Korea Republic in 2002.
This will be Croatia’s third appearance in the round of 16 at the World Cup, while they progressed from this stage in both previous such instances, beating Romania 1-0 in 1998 and Denmark on penalties in 2018.
Croatia have only lost two of their eight knockout stage games at the World Cup (W4 D2), while they also progressed from the two such games that finished as draws on penalties, both in 2018 (v Denmark in the round of 16, Russia in the quarterfinal).
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Japan averaged just 32.3 per cent possession across their three group stage games at this World Cup. Their two wins over Spain and Germany came with 17.7 per cent and 26.1 per cent possession respectively, while their one defeat came to Costa Rica in a match in which they had 56.8 per cent possession.
Croatia failed to score in two of their three group stage games at this World Cup; they had only drawn a blank in two of 13 matches at the tournament in the 2006, 2014 and 2018 editions combined before this.
Three of Japan’s four goals scored at the 2022 World Cup have been by substitutes, the most ever in a single edition by an Asian nation (excl. own goals). Ritsu Doan has scored two of those goals; only three players have ever scored 3+ goals as a substitute at a single World Cup - André Schürrle in 2014 (3), Roger Milla in 1990 (4), and Laszlo Kiss in 1982 (3).
Takuma Asano attempted more shots than any Japan player in the 2022 World Cup group stage (8), despite the fact he didn’t start any of their three games. Asano had a shot every 13 minutes on average.
No player has scored more goals for Croatia at major tournaments (World Cup and Euros) than Ivan Perisic (9, level with Davor Suker), while Perisic has more such assists than any player for the nation (7). Indeed, at the 2022 World Cup, no player has had more shots for Croatia than Perisic (5), while only Mateo Kovacic (5) has created more chances for them than Perisic (4).