2018 World Cup is down to its final matches, who will emerge in the round of 16?

MOSCOW – Three weeks remain in this World Cup, three more weeks of stoppage-time stunners, goalkeeping howlers and video-replay reversals until the billion-people-are-watching final kicks off at Luzhniki Stadium on July 15.

A strong case can be made, though, that some of the most dramatic moments will play out over the next four days, perpetrated in some cases by teams that will head home by the end of the week.

We have reached the last round of the group stage, and unlike the previous set of matches, respective group games will kick off simultaneously.

The purpose is to minimize chicanery; the result, however, is 90 minutes of high anxiety, obsessive smartphone-checking and abrupt turns of fortune at, in some cases, two tense venues hundreds of miles apart.

Take, for example, Mexico, which sits atop Group F with six points and seems certain, on the surface, of advancing to the round of 16.

If El Tri falls behind Sweden on Wednesday in a venue near the boundary between Asia and Europe, Mexican supporters will want to closely monitor the status of the Germany-south Korea match unfolding 600 miles to the west.

Six teams – Russia, Uruguay, France, Croatia, England and Belgium - already have secured passage and are playing to learn their next destination and opponent. One superpower (Argentina) must win. Four titans (Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Germany) are not out of danger. And a fairy tale (Iceland) is on the brink of ending.

Here’s a closer look at the eight groups:

GROUP A

Russia and Uruguay already have clinched at the expense of Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Both sit on six points, but the hosts are ahead, thanks to a superior goal difference, and need only a draw against the South Americans on Monday in Samara to win the group.

GROUP B

Spain and Portugal are even on points (four) and goal difference (plus-one). But heading into Monday’s games, the Spaniards have the advantage because they play a team that has been eliminated (Morocco), while Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. face an opponent (Iran) with three points.

GROUP C

France is through to the round of 16 and, with a victory or draw against second-place Denmark on Tuesday in Moscow, would seal first place. Is Didier Deschamps’s squad a genuine championship contender? We just don’t know yet. His squad has been good but not great. A quality European side provides a good test.

GROUP D

There was no reason to project France’s next opponent because the situation in this group remains too unsettled. We know Croatia (six points) is almost certain to finish first. The only team that can catch up is Nigeria, but Croatia’s plus-five goal difference is all but insurmountable. The Moroccan defender headed in the own goal that gave Iran a first-match win during the World Cup in Russia on June 15.

GROUP E

Brazil and Switzerland are tied on points (four). The Brazilians have a slight advantage in goal difference in case they finish even but they also have a tougher matchup: Serbia (three points) on Wednesday in Moscow, while the Swiss play Costa Rica (none) in Nizhny Novgorod.

GROUP F

Germany’s dramatic victory over Sweden set the stage for a nail-biting finish to the group. There is a chance three teams could finish with six points, triggering

perhaps layers of tiebreakers.

GROUP G

We know who is moving on: Both England and Belgium have six points, plus-six goal differences and eight goals scored. So naturally they’ll draw Thursday in Kaliningrad, right?

GROUP H

With their draw Sunday, Japan and Senegal remain the surprise leaders with four points apiece. Now, they’ve got to take the final step by holding their ground against the pre-tournament group favorites.