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Next summer's global tournament is at last starting to feel very real. Although fans are now able to begin marking their calendars, Friday's draw in Washington DC was not short of major talking points.

Well before the Village People took to the stage with their classic hit, observers were picking the bones out of a opening round featuring a showdown between two of the world's best forwards and a knockout stage promising a highly anticipated encounter between two greats of the sport.

The Ceremony That Seemed Like It May Never End

Many people logged on eager to discover their national side's initial opponents. However, despite the fact fans are used to such ceremonies taking some time, this was extraordinary.

After acts by Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger, addresses from dignitaries and football's governing body, plus countless montages and discussions, it finally seemed to get going almost 60 minutes later. Or so we thought.

Cue more interviews and performances, before the real selection process eventually began around 90 minutes after the glitzy event initially started. The draw itself then required almost an hour to finish.

Moving On to the Football Itself...

The upcoming World Cup 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 maybe resulted in the group stage being somewhat weakened in overall strength.

There are very few fixtures between the major nations. England's match with Croatia is the most significant theoretically. That is the sole opening-round game featuring two teams inside the world's elite.

Brazil versus Morocco is the next best. The Netherlands have the most difficult draw by Fifa world rankings, while Die Mannschaft—grouped with Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the easiest on paper. But, interesting matches remain.

A Pair of Goal Machines Face Off

Generational goalgetter Norway's star will get a crack at his major international competition next summer. The Manchester City forward netted 16 goals in qualifying matches to single-handedly carry his country to their first appearance since 1998.

Hardly any have been able to rival the 25-year-old's incredible goalscoring feats—but someone who has is set to come up against him in the final round of group games. Along with The Lions of Teranga, Norway have been paired with 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. Anticipate net-bulgers. Plenty of scoring.

A Familiar Foe

Mexico will take on Bafana Bafana in the opening match—repeating history. The sides also kicked off the 2010 edition. That match, which finished 1-1, is best remembered for a thunderous second-half strike.

Another notable fixture will see the French again come up against the Senegalese, who stunned the then-world champions back in 2002. On that first day, a future Fulham midfielder outshone France's galaxy of stars to score the winning goal.

Fantasy Fixtures for the First-Timers

Four new nations have taken advantage of the larger World Cup to qualify for the finals for the first time. But, awaiting them are past winners, European champions and South American champions.

In one group, the tiny Caribbean island, the least populous country to ever feature in a World Cup, will take on four-time winners Germany. The island nation, with a population of around 600,000, will face European champions and 2010 World Cup winners Spain.

Jordan, after decades of trying, will face defending champions Argentina and the legendary forward. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be guided by a former champion against the Portuguese icon's Selecao das Quinas.

What About the Knockout Stage?

Assuming all the favorites make it safely through their groups, fans may not wait long for the heavyweights to meet. The last 16 is where things could get extremely interesting, most notably with a possible matchup between former champions Germany and the French.

On the opposite half of the draw, eyes will be drawn to the last eight, where old rivals Messi and the Portuguese are lined up for a potential showdown. It would depend on both Messi's team and Ronaldo's side finishing top and navigating the early knockout rounds.

Regarding the Three Lions, a match with co-hosts Mexico seems the probable first knockout game. Should the Scots progress, Japan or the Netherlands could await in what would be their first ever World Cup knockout fixture.