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The upcoming World Cup is finally starting to feel very real. While fans can finally start marking their calendars, Friday's draw in Washington DC was not short of major talking points.

Long before the Village People took to the stage with YMCA, we were left picking the bones out of a opening round that includes a clash between two of the world's best strikers and a playoff bracket that could produce a highly anticipated encounter between legends of the sport.

The Ceremony That Felt Like It Would Go On Forever

Numerous viewers logged on keen to find out their national side's group stage opponents. But, despite the fact supporters are accustomed to these draws taking some time, 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 discussions, it finally seemed to begin almost 60 minutes later. That was an illusion.

This led to more interviews and performances, before the real selection process finally commenced around 90 minutes after the star-studded show first kicked off. The selection then took 59 minutes to finish.

On to the Actual Football...

Next summer's World Cup will be the largest in the competition's history, with a unprecedented number of nations and a first-ever additional knockout round. However, this expansion has perhaps led to the group stage being slightly diluted in overall strength.

There are very few fixtures between the traditional powerhouses. England's match with their 2018 semi-final opponents is the biggest theoretically. That is the sole opening-round game featuring two teams ranked in the top 10.

Brazil versus The Atlas Lions is the second most intriguing. The Netherlands have the toughest group by official standings, while Die Mannschaft—grouped with Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the weakest. Nevertheless, compelling contests still await.

A Pair of Prolific Scorers Go Head-to-Head

Phenomenal striker Norway's star will get a crack at his major international competition in the upcoming finals. The Premier League striker scored 16 times in qualifying matches to drag his country to their initial berth since 1998.

Few have managed to come close to the 25-year-old's ridiculous goalscoring feats—but someone who has is scheduled to come up against him in the final round of the group stage. Together with Senegal, Norway have been drawn against Kylian Mbappe's France.

This means the leading scorers in the Premier League and Spain's division will clash for the first time in on the global stage. Expect goals. Plenty of scoring.

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 thunderous goal.

Another eye-catching group game will see France once more face the Senegalese, who shocked the then-world champions back in the 2002 World Cup. On that first day, a then-unknown player outshone France's cast of star names 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 reach the tournament for the first occasion. However, awaiting them 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 600,000, will face European champions and 2010 World Cup winners La Roja.

Jordan, after 40 years of trying, meets title-holders La Albiceleste and the legendary forward. Meanwhile, The Central Asian team will be led by a former champion against the Portuguese icon's Portugal.

What About the Knockout Stage?

Assuming all the top teams progress from 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 Germany and the French.

On the opposite half of the bracket, eyes will be drawn to the quarter-final stage, where old rivals Messi and Ronaldo are lined up for a possible clash. It would depend on both Messi's team and Portugal winning their groups and navigating the initial playoffs.

Regarding the Three Lions, a game against tournament hosts seems the most likely first knockout game. Should the Scots progress, Japan or the Netherlands could await in what would be their historic World Cup knockout fixture.