So this is what it comes down to for the Newcastle United players involved.
The Qatar World Cup kicked off on Sunday with Ecuador strolling to an easy 2-0 victory, as the feeble hosts couldn’t even manage a shot on target.
Almost four and a half years planning and preparation since the last World Cup in Russia, the half a dozen Newcastle United players discovering their (group stage) fates in these next 12 days.
A dozen days that feature half a dozen Newcastle United players, playing out eleven group matches.
The three relevant groups are…
Group B:
England, Iran, USA, Wales
Group D:
France, Australia, Denmark, Tunisia
Group G:
Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
There are 16 of the 24 that qualify for the knockout stages, top two in each of the six groups and then the fourth best third placed teams, so only eight go out at this group stage.
Kicking off today with the NUFC trio of Pope, Trippier and Wilson, England face Iran at 1pm on Monday, the first of eleven matches in these next twelve days that could have Newcastle United players on the pitch.
Monday 21 November, 13:00: England v Iran – BBC (Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier, Callum Wilson)
Tuesday 22 November, 19:00: France v Australia – BBC (Garang Kuol)
Thursday 24 November, 10:00: Switzerland v Cameroon – ITV (Fabian Schar)
Thursday 24 November, 19:00: Brazil v Serbia – BBC (Bruno Guimaraes)
Friday 25 November, 19:00: England v USA – ITV (Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier, Callum Wilson)
Saturday 26 November, 10:00: Tunisia v Australia – BBC (Garang Kuol)
Monday 28 November, 16:00: Brazil v Switzerland – ITV (Bruno Guimaraes, Fabian Schar)
Tuesday 29 November, 19:00: England v Wales – BBC (Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier, Callum Wilson)
Wednesday 30 November, 15:00: Australia v Denmark – BBC (Garang Kuol)
Friday 2 December, 19:00: Serbia v Switzerland – ITV (Fabian Schar)
Friday 2 December, 19:00: Cameroon v Brazil – ITV (Bruno Guimaraes)
The TV schedule for all 48 Qatar World Cup group games, games highlighted with Newcastle United players potential involvement:
20 November, 16:00: Qatar 0 Ecuador 2
21 November, 10:00: Senegal v Netherlands – ITV
Monday 21 November, 13:00: England v Iran – BBC (Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier, Callum Wilson)
21 November, 19:00: USA v Wales – ITV
22 November, 10:00: Argentina v Saudi Arabia – ITV
22 November, 13:00: Denmark v Tunisia – ITV
22 November, 16:00: Mexico v Poland – BBC
Tuesday 22 November, 19:00: France v Australia – BBC (Garang Kuol)
23 November, 10:00: Morocco v Croatia – ITV
23 November, 13:00: Germany v Japan – ITV
23 November, 16:00: Spain v Costa Rica – ITV
23 November, 19:00: Belgium v Canada – BBC
Thursday 24 November, 10:00: Switzerland v Cameroon – ITV (Fabian Schar)
24 November, 13:00: Uruguay v South Korea – BBC
24 November, 16:00: Portugal v Ghana – ITV
Thursday 24 November, 19:00: Brazil v Serbia – BBC (Bruno Guimaraes)
25 November, 10:00: Wales v Iran – BBC
25 November, 13:00: Qatar v Senegal – BBC
25 November, 16:00: Netherlands v Ecuador – ITV
Friday 25 November, 19:00: England v USA – ITV (Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier, Callum Wilson)
Saturday 26 November, 10:00: Tunisia v Australia – BBC (Garang Kuol)
26 November, 13:00: Poland v Saudi Arabia – ITV
26 November, 16:00: France v Denmark – ITV
26 November, 19:00: Argentina v Mexico – ITV
27 November, 10:00: Japan v Costa Rica – ITV
27 November, 13:00: Belgium v Morocco – BBC
27 November, 16:00: Croatia v Canada – BBC
27 November, 19:00: Spain v Germany – BBC
28 November, 10:00: Cameroon v Serbia – ITV
28 November, 13:00: South Korea v Ghana – BBC
Monday 28 November, 16:00: Brazil v Switzerland – ITV (Bruno Guimaraes, Fabian Schar)
28 November, 19:00: Portugal v Uruguay – ITV
29 November, 15:00: Ecuador v Senegal – ITV
29 November, 15:00: Netherlands v Qatar – ITV
29 November, 19:00: Iran v USA – BBC
Tuesday 29 November, 19:00: England v Wales – BBC (Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier, Callum Wilson)
30 November, 15:00: Tunisia v France – BBC
Wednesday 30 November, 15:00: Australia v Denmark – BBC (Garang Kuol)
30 November, 19:00: Poland v Argentina – BBC
30 November, 19:00: Saudi Arabia v Mexico – BBC
1 December, 16:00: Canada v Morocco – BBC
1 December, 16:00: Croatia v Belgium – BBC
1 December, 19:00: Japan v Spain – ITV
1 December, 19:00: Costa Rica v Germany – ITV
2 December, 16:00: Ghana v Uruguay – BBC
2 December, 16:00: South Korea v Portugal – BBC
Friday 2 December, 19:00: Serbia v Switzerland – ITV (Fabian Schar)
Friday 2 December, 19:00: Cameroon v Brazil – ITV (Bruno Guimaraes)