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The upcoming global tournament is at last starting to feel tangible. Although fans can finally start planning their schedules, the recent draw in Washington DC was not short of significant headlines.

Long before the Village People took to the stage with their classic hit, we were left analyzing a group stage featuring a clash between football's top strikers and a playoff bracket that could produce a truly mouthwatering meeting between legends of the sport.

The Ceremony That Seemed Like It May Never End

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

Following acts by a pop star and Nicole Scherzinger, addresses from dignitaries and Fifa officials, plus numerous video packages and discussions, it eventually appeared to get going almost 60 minutes later. That was an illusion.

This led to further commentary and entertainment, before the actual draw finally commenced around 90 minutes after the star-studded show initially started. The draw itself then required almost an hour to finish.

On to the Actual Football...

The upcoming tournament will be the biggest in the competition's history, with a unprecedented number of nations and a new round of 32. However, this expansion has perhaps led to the initial phase being slightly diluted in overall strength.

There are hardly any matches between the traditional powerhouses. England's game against their 2018 semi-final opponents is the most significant theoretically. That is the sole opening-round game with two teams inside the world's elite.

The Selecao versus Morocco is the next best. The Dutch have the toughest group by Fifa world rankings, while Germany—drawn against less-fancied opponents—have the weakest. Nevertheless, interesting matches still await.

A Pair of Prolific Scorers Go Head-to-Head

Phenomenal striker Erling Haaland will get a crack at his major international competition next summer. The Manchester City forward scored 16 times in eight matches to drag his country to their initial berth since 1998.

Hardly any have managed to rival the youngster's incredible scoring records—but someone who has is scheduled to come up against him in the last match of the group stage. Along with Senegal, Norway have been drawn against Kylian Mbappe's Les Bleus.

This means the leading scorers in the English top flight and La Liga will clash for the first time in on the global stage. Expect net-bulgers. Lots of goals.

We Meet Again

El Tri will face South Africa in the opening match—repeating history. The two teams also kicked off the 2010 edition. That game, ending 1-1, is most famous for a thunderous goal.

Another eye-catching group game will see France once more face Senegal, who shocked the reigning title-holders back in the 2002 World Cup. On that opening night, a then-unknown player outshone France's galaxy of stars to score the winning goal.

Fantasy Fixtures for the Debutants

Four new nations have benefited from the expanded World Cup to qualify for the finals for the first occasion. But, standing in their way are past winners, European champions and Copa America winners.

In one group, Curacao, the smallest nation to ever feature in a World Cup, will take on multiple winners Die Mannschaft. The island nation, with a population of around 600,000, will face Euro winners and 2010 World Cup winners Spain.

Jordan, after 40 years of trying, will face defending champions Argentina and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, The Central Asian team will be led by a 2006 World Cup winner against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.

What About the Playoff Rounds?

If all the favorites progress from their groups, fans may not wait long for the big hitters to collide. The round of 32 is where things could get really tasty, most notably with a possible matchup between past winners Germany and France.

On the other side of the bracket, eyes will be drawn to the quarter-final stage, where old rivals the Argentine and the Portuguese are set for a possible showdown. It would depend on both Messi's team and Portugal winning their groups and navigating the early knockout rounds.

Regarding the Three Lions, a game against co-hosts Mexico seems the probable last-32 tie. Should Scotland progress, Samurai Blue or the Dutch could be waiting in what would be their first ever World Cup playoff match.