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Next summer's global tournament is finally beginning to seem tangible. Although supporters are now able to begin marking their calendars, Friday's draw in the US capital was full of significant headlines.

Long before the Village People took to the stage with YMCA, we were left analyzing a opening round featuring a clash between football's top forwards and a playoff bracket that could produce a highly anticipated encounter between legends of the sport.

The Draw That Seemed Like It Would Go On Forever

Numerous viewers tuned in keen to find out their national side's initial fixtures. But, despite the fact fans are accustomed to such ceremonies taking some time, this one set a new standard.

After performances by Robbie Williams and a former Pussycat Doll, addresses from political leaders and Fifa officials, plus countless montages and discussions, it finally seemed to begin almost 60 minutes later. That was an illusion.

This led to further commentary and entertainment, 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 complete.

On to the Actual Football...

The upcoming tournament will be the biggest in history, with a unprecedented number of nations and a new round of 32. However, this expansion has perhaps led to the group stage being somewhat weakened in quality.

There are very few matches between the major nations. England's match with 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.

Brazil versus Morocco is the next best. The Dutch have the toughest group by Fifa world rankings, while Germany—grouped with Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the weakest. Nevertheless, interesting matches remain.

A Pair of Prolific Scorers Go Head-to-Head

Phenomenal striker Erling Haaland will make his debut in his first major tournament next summer. The Manchester City forward scored 16 times in qualifying matches to single-handedly carry his country to their first appearance since 1998.

Few have managed to come close to the youngster's incredible scoring records—except for one player is scheduled to come up against him in the last match of the group stage. Together with The Lions of Teranga, 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 on the global stage. Anticipate net-bulgers. Lots of goals.

A Familiar Foe

El Tri will face South Africa in the first game—and not for the first time. The two teams also opened the 2010 edition. That game, which finished 1-1, is most famous for a rasping second-half strike.

Another notable fixture will see France again come up against the Senegalese, who stunned the then-world champions back in the 2002 World Cup. On that opening night, a then-unknown player upstaged France's galaxy of stars to score the decisive goal.

Dream Ties for the Debutants

Four new nations have benefited from the larger World Cup to qualify for the finals for the first occasion. However, awaiting them are past winners, European champions and Copa America winners.

In one group, the tiny Caribbean island, the smallest nation to ever play at a World Cup, will take on four-time winners Germany. The island nation, with a population of around half a million, will face European champions and former champions Spain.

Jordan, after decades of trying, will face defending champions Argentina and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be led by a 2006 World Cup winner against Cristiano Ronaldo's Selecao das Quinas.

And Then Comes the Knockout Stage?

If all the top teams make it safely through their groups, fans may not wait long for the heavyweights to collide. The round of 32 is where things could get extremely interesting, most notably with a potential tie between former champions the Germans and the French.

On the other side of the bracket, eyes will be fixed on the quarter-final stage, where historic adversaries Messi and the Portuguese are lined up for a potential showdown. It would depend on both Argentina and Portugal winning their groups and navigating the initial playoffs.

Regarding the Three Lions, a match with tournament hosts seems the most likely first knockout game. Should Scotland are able to get through, Japan or the Netherlands could be waiting in what would be their first ever World Cup knockout fixture.