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Next summer's global tournament is finally beginning to seem very real. While fans are now able to begin planning their schedules, the recent ceremony in Washington DC was not short of significant headlines.

Well before the iconic group performed with their classic hit, observers were analyzing a opening round featuring a clash between two of the world's best strikers and a playoff bracket promising a truly mouthwatering meeting between two greats of the sport.

The Draw That Felt Like It May Never End

Many people tuned in eager to find out their team's group stage fixtures. But, despite the fact fans are used to these draws being lengthy, this one set a new standard.

After performances by a pop star and Nicole Scherzinger, addresses from political leaders and football's governing body, plus countless montages and interviews, it finally seemed to begin nearly an hour later. Or so we thought.

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

Moving On to the Actual Football...

The upcoming World Cup will be the biggest in history, with a unprecedented number of nations and a first-ever additional knockout round. However, this expansion has maybe resulted in the initial phase being slightly diluted in quality.

There are very few matches between the traditional powerhouses. The Three Lions' game against their 2018 semi-final opponents is the biggest theoretically. That is the only group fixture featuring two teams inside the world's elite.

The Selecao versus Morocco is the second most intriguing. The Netherlands have the toughest group by Fifa world rankings, while Die Mannschaft—drawn against Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the weakest. But, interesting matches remain.

Two Goal Machines Go Head-to-Head

Phenomenal striker Norway's star will make his debut in his major international competition in the upcoming finals. The Premier League forward netted 16 goals in eight matches to single-handedly carry his nation to their initial berth since 1998.

Few have managed to come close to the 25-year-old's ridiculous scoring records—but someone who has is scheduled to come up against him in the last match of the group stage. Together with Senegal, Norway have been drawn against Kylian Mbappe's Les Bleus.

This means the top marksmen in the English top flight and Spain's division will clash for the first time in international football. Expect goals. Plenty of scoring.

A Familiar Foe

Mexico will face Bafana Bafana in the opening match—repeating history. The sides also kicked off the tournament in South Africa. That match, which finished 1-1, is most famous for a thunderous second-half strike.

Another eye-catching fixture will see the French once more face Senegal, who shocked the then-world champions back in the 2002 World Cup. On that first day, a future Fulham midfielder upstaged France's galaxy of stars to score the winning goal.

Dream Ties for the First-Timers

Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Jordan and Curacao have taken advantage of the larger World Cup to qualify for the finals for the first occasion. But, awaiting them are past winners, continental title-holders and South American champions.

In one group, the tiny Caribbean island, the smallest nation to ever feature in a World Cup, will take on multiple winners Germany. The island nation, with a resident count of around 600,000, will face Euro winners and former champions La Roja.

The Middle Eastern side, after 40 years of trying, will face title-holders Argentina and the legendary forward. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be guided by a former champion against the Portuguese icon's Selecao das Quinas.

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 meet. The last 16 is where things could get really tasty, most notably with a potential tie between former champions the Germans and France.

On the other side of the draw, eyes will be drawn to the last eight, where old rivals Messi and the Portuguese are lined up for a possible showdown. It would depend on both Argentina and Ronaldo's side winning their groups and navigating the early knockout rounds.

For England, a game against tournament hosts seems the probable last-32 tie. Should Scotland are able to get through, Japan or the Netherlands could be waiting in what would be their historic World Cup knockout fixture.