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The upcoming global tournament is finally starting to feel very real. While supporters can finally start planning their schedules, Friday's ceremony in the US capital was not short of major talking points.

Long before the Village People performed with their classic hit, we were left picking the bones out of a opening round featuring a clash between two of the world's best forwards and a playoff bracket promising a highly anticipated encounter between two greats of the game.

The Draw That Seemed Like It May Never End

Numerous viewers tuned in keen to find out their national side's group stage fixtures. But, even though fans are used to these draws being lengthy, this one set a new standard.

Following performances by a pop star and a former Pussycat Doll, addresses from political leaders and Fifa officials, plus countless video packages and discussions, it eventually appeared to begin almost 60 minutes later. Or so we thought.

This led to further commentary and entertainment, before the real selection process eventually began around 90 minutes after the glitzy event first kicked off. The selection then took 59 minutes to finish.

On to the Football Itself...

The upcoming tournament will be the biggest in the competition's history, with a record 48 teams and a first-ever additional knockout round. Yet, this increase in size has maybe resulted in the group stage being slightly diluted in overall strength.

There are hardly any fixtures between the traditional powerhouses. England's match with their 2018 semi-final opponents is the biggest on paper. That is the only group fixture with two teams inside the world's elite.

Brazil versus Morocco is the next best. The Dutch have the most difficult draw by Fifa world rankings, while Germany—drawn against less-fancied opponents—have the weakest. But, interesting matches remain.

Two Prolific Scorers Face Off

Phenomenal striker Erling Haaland will get a crack at his major international competition next summer. The Manchester City forward netted 16 goals in eight matches to single-handedly carry his country to their initial berth since 1998.

Few have managed to rival the 25-year-old's ridiculous goalscoring feats—but someone who has is scheduled to come up against him in the last match of group games. Along with Senegal, The Nordic side have been paired with the French superstar's Les Bleus.

This means the top marksmen in the English top flight and La Liga will go head-to-head for the first time in international football. Anticipate net-bulgers. Lots of goals.

A Familiar Foe

El Tri will take on South Africa in the first game—repeating history. The two teams also kicked off the 2010 edition. That game, ending 1-1, is most famous for a rasping goal.

Another eye-catching group game will see France once more face Senegal, who stunned the reigning title-holders back in the 2002 World Cup. On that first day, a then-unknown player upstaged France's galaxy of stars to score the decisive goal.

Fantasy Fixtures for the First-Timers

Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Jordan and Curacao have benefited from the expanded World Cup to qualify for the finals for the first time. However, awaiting them are former world champions, European champions and South American champions.

In one group, Curacao, the least populous country to ever play at a World Cup, will meet multiple winners Die Mannschaft. Cape Verde, with a resident count of around half a million, will face Euro winners and former champions La Roja.

The Middle Eastern side, after 40 years of trying, will face defending champions Argentina and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, The Central Asian team will be guided by a former champion against the Portuguese icon's Portugal.

And Then Comes the Knockout Stage?

If all the favorites make it safely through their groups, we shouldn't have to wait for the big hitters to collide. The last 16 is where things could get really tasty, most notably with a possible matchup between former champions the Germans and the French.

On the opposite half of the draw, eyes will be drawn to the quarter-final stage, where historic adversaries Messi and the Portuguese are set for a potential clash. It would require both Messi's team and Portugal winning their groups and squeezing through the early knockout rounds.

For England, a match with tournament hosts seems the most likely first knockout game. And, if the Scots progress, Samurai Blue or the Netherlands could await in what would be their first ever World Cup knockout fixture.