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The upcoming global tournament is finally starting to feel tangible. While supporters can finally start marking their calendars, the recent draw in the US capital was full of significant headlines.

Long before the Village People performed with their classic hit, we were left analyzing a opening round featuring a showdown between two of the world's best forwards and a playoff bracket that could produce a truly mouthwatering meeting between legends of the game.

The Ceremony That Seemed Like It May Never End

Numerous viewers tuned in keen to find out their national side's group stage fixtures. But, despite the fact fans are accustomed to such ceremonies taking some time, this was extraordinary.

Following performances by Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger, addresses from political leaders and Fifa officials, plus countless montages and discussions, it eventually appeared to begin nearly an hour later. Or so we thought.

Cue more interviews and entertainment, before the real selection process eventually began around 90 minutes after the star-studded show first kicked off. The selection then took 59 minutes to finish.

On to the Actual Football...

The upcoming World Cup will be the biggest in the competition's history, with a unprecedented number of nations and a first-ever additional knockout round. Yet, this increase in size has perhaps led to the group stage being slightly diluted in overall strength.

There are hardly any fixtures between the major nations. The Three Lions' game against their 2018 semi-final opponents is the biggest on paper. That is the sole opening-round game with two teams inside the world's elite.

Brazil versus Morocco is the next best. The Dutch have the toughest group by Fifa world rankings, while Die Mannschaft—grouped with less-fancied opponents—have the easiest on paper. Nevertheless, interesting matches still await.

Two Goal Machines 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 qualifying matches to drag his nation to their initial berth since 1998.

Few have managed to come close to the youngster's ridiculous scoring records—but someone who has is scheduled to come up against him in the final round of group games. Together with The Lions of Teranga, The Nordic side have been drawn against Kylian Mbappe's France.

This means the leading scorers in the English top flight and La Liga will go head-to-head for the initial occasion in on the global stage. Anticipate goals. Lots of goals.

A Familiar Foe

El Tri will take on South Africa in the first game—and not for the first time. The two teams also kicked off the 2010 edition. That game, which finished 1-1, is best remembered for a thunderous goal.

Another eye-catching group game will see France again come up against Senegal, who stunned the reigning title-holders back in 2002. On that first day, a then-unknown player upstaged France's cast of star names to score the winning goal.

Dream Ties for the Debutants

Four new nations have benefited from the larger World Cup to reach the finals for the first occasion. But, standing in their way are former world champions, continental title-holders and Copa America winners.

In one group, the tiny Caribbean island, the least populous country to ever feature in a World Cup, will take on four-time winners Die Mannschaft. The island nation, with a resident count of around half a million, will face European champions and former champions La Roja.

The Middle Eastern side, after 40 years of trying, meets defending champions Argentina and the legendary forward. Meanwhile, The Central Asian team will be led by a 2006 World Cup winner against the Portuguese icon's Selecao das Quinas.

What About the Knockout Stage?

Assuming all the favorites progress from their groups, fans may not wait long for the big hitters to meet. The round of 32 is where things could get extremely interesting, most notably with a potential tie between past winners the Germans and the French.

On the other side of the draw, eyes will be fixed on the quarter-final stage, where old rivals the Argentine and Ronaldo are lined up for a possible clash. It would require both Messi's team and Portugal finishing top and squeezing through the early knockout rounds.

Regarding the Three Lions, a game against tournament hosts seems the most likely first knockout game. And, if the Scots are able to get through, Japan or the Dutch could be waiting in what would be their first ever World Cup playoff match.