Two of world football's most prestigious nations come to lock horns at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday night in a clash that will test both Spain and Italy's impressive qualification records.
Having attended every World Cup since 1974, La Roja are experts at the qualification stage with no defeats in their last 69 games.
Losing to Denmark in Copenhagen on March 31, 1993, Spain have gone almost 24-and-a-half years without a loss at this stage since, winning 56 and drawing 13 World Cup qualifiers.
Italy's streak in this regard covers both the World Cup and European Championships, lasting 56 matches without defeat after losing 1-0 to France in September 2006.
La Roja cannot boast such a run at a European level, losing to Slovakia on their way to France 2016 to end a 35-game run that began when being shoved into second-place by eventual champions Greece ahead of Euro 2004.
Only one can succeed
With the runner-up in the group heading into the play-offs, there is a risk that one of Spain or Italy won't be at a major tournament for the first time since they both missed Euro 1992.
Crucial to Spain reaching Russia some 26 years later is maintaining their record of having never lost a home qualifier, which only the Azzurri and Brazil can also boast.
Daniele De Rossi rescued Italy from a defeat to Julen Lopetegui's men earlier in the round and now they can end La Roja's 56 game streak, which is just ahead of their rivals' 51 games in the same 83-year period.
As their face-to-face battle in qualifiers for the first time comes to an end, there is plenty of history to fight over for both teams as they look ahead to reaching Russia next summer.