As the competition now enters the latter stages, the-AFC.com looks back to highlight that stats and facts that stood out from our teams' thrilling contribution to football’s biggest showpiece.

"I have decided to end the chapter of my career with the national team with this tournament," Hasebe wrote on his Instagram account.

The 34-year-old defensive midfielder's departure from the Blue Samurai could mean a changing of the guard for the team, with former AC Milan striker Keisuke Honda, 32, also saying he plans to retire from the national squad.

Hasebe, who won the German Cup with Eintracht Frankfurt last season, has been on the national team for more than 12 years under five coaches.

22nd June, 16 years ago, Korea Republic made history.

Asian teams had only once before reached the last eight – some 36 years before – let alone the final four.

Many of the Samurai Blue shone in the first round while, although departed, a number of players from Asia’s four other representatives grabbed the world’s attention. The-AFC.com has chosen five for you to vote for your standout performer.

A disciplined tactical performance against a star-studded Belgium side saw Akira Nishino’s Japan hold their opponents to a goalless draw at the interval before striking twice within seven minutes of the restart through Genki Haraguchi and Takashi Inui.

Belgium’s Roberto Martinez threw on Marouane Fellaini and Nacer Chadli with 25 minutes to go and both substitutes got on the scoresheet in the final quarter of an hour after Jan Vertonghen had halved the deficit with a fluke header. Chadli’s winner at the death denied the Samurai Blue the prospect of a first-ever World Cup quarter-final appearance.

With the first knockout round set to kick off today, the-AFC.com looks back at the five previous times when Asian sides have progressed beyond the group stage and into the business end of the global showpiece.

Mehdi Taj, the President of the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI), said Queiroz's future had been decided even before the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia.

"The contract will be discussed later but yes, Quieroz will remain in charge until the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019," said Taj, speaking after IR Iran returned from their Russia 2018 adventure.