Two ageing golden generations could have one final tilt at glory in Qatar, starting in Group F as Belgium and Croatia, who finished third and second respectively in Russia four years ago, have been drawn together.
The two European nations will be firm favourites to reach the knockout rounds ahead of a Canada side appearing at the World Cup for the first time since 1986, and a Moroccan outfit without a win on this stage since 1998.
Here, the Sports Mole team set out how they expect Group F to pan out this winter.
1. BELGIUM
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While many will regard Belgium as a contender to match or better their semi-finals effort of four years ago, the Red Devils have also been tipped to falter as soon as they reach the knockout rounds.
Should they advance from Group F and secure top spot, Belgium will likely face a challenging contest against either four-time world champions Germany or 2010 winners Spain in the last 16.
With Martinez's squad overly reliant on De Bruyne, lacking quality at the back and facing the prospect of playing without fitness doubts Lukaku and Hazard, Belgium may struggle to go deep into this year's tournament.
2. CROATIA
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As the golden generation of Belgium continue to fall short in the biggest tournaments, Croatia can feel optimistic of challenging for top spot in Group F, but Dalic's side may fall just short and be forced to take on the winners of Group E.
That could pit the Chequered Ones against either Germany or Spain in the last 16, but their magical run to the final four years ago will count for nought against the former champions, and Croatia's tournament should come to a much earlier end this time around.
3. MOROCCO
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Perhaps the most talented group of Moroccan players in recent memory, with a manager who looks to be uniting the squad, optimism is high heading into their fifth-ever World Cup.
Progressing to the knockout stages will certainly be the aim for Regragui's men, although they face stern competition from all three of their Group F opponents.
The returns of Ziyech and Mazraoui, alongside the quality of Hakimi, Sofiane Boufal and Amine Harit, mean that the Moroccans are capable of launching a realistic push for qualification, even against more experienced nations.
However, we ultimately expect them to miss out on a last-16 spot, with the fading golden generations of Belgium and Croatia finishing above them.
4. CANADA
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Canada are playing with house money and given how they fared in their only other appearance at this tournament, simply scoring a goal would signify progress.
That being said, this current generation is significantly different from the '86 squad, as they have some outstanding individuals who feature prominently in Europe and have hoisted numerous trophies in the biggest club competitions.
Throughout qualifying, particularly in the third round, they were a side built to catch teams in transition and penalise them for pace.
They sustained plenty of pressure against the Mexicans and Americans but were aided by the splendid goalkeeping of Milan Borjan and a youthful group of attackers, who punished their opponents on the counter.
Beating teams like Mexico and the US are exemplary achievements but having to face Belgium and Croatia will be asking a lot of this Canadian team.
For a side that likes to hang back and withstand pressure, it will not be easy to contain the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Luka Modric - two of the best midfielders in the world today, who are masters at picking out their attacking players for goalscoring opportunities.
An upset is certainly not out of the question, but realistically we believe the Canadians are not ready to take that big of a leap just yet, so we project them to win their final group encounter against Morocco, which should give them something to build upon when co-hosting this tournament in 2026.
Barney Corkhill
