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The upcoming global tournament is at last starting to feel tangible. Although supporters are now able to begin planning their schedules, Friday's ceremony in Washington DC was full of significant headlines.

Well before the iconic group took to the stage with their classic hit, we were left analyzing a group stage featuring a showdown between two of the world's best forwards and a knockout stage promising a highly anticipated meeting between two greats of the game.

The Draw That Felt Like It May Never End

Many people logged on eager to find out their team's group stage fixtures. However, despite the fact fans are accustomed to these draws taking some time, this one set a new standard.

After acts by Robbie Williams and a former Pussycat Doll, addresses from dignitaries and football's governing body, plus countless montages and interviews, it eventually appeared to get going almost 60 minutes later. Or so we thought.

This led to more interviews and entertainment, before the real selection process eventually began nearly an hour and a half after the star-studded show first kicked off. The selection then took 59 minutes to complete.

Moving On to the Football Itself...

Next summer's World Cup will be the biggest in history, with a record 48 teams and a first-ever additional knockout round. Yet, this expansion has maybe resulted in the initial phase being somewhat weakened in quality.

There are very few matches between the traditional powerhouses. England's game against Croatia is the biggest on paper. That is the only group fixture featuring two teams inside the world's elite.

Brazil versus Morocco is the second most intriguing. The Dutch have the toughest group by official standings, while Die Mannschaft—grouped with Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the easiest on paper. Nevertheless, interesting matches remain.

Two Prolific Scorers Face Off

Phenomenal striker Erling Haaland will make his debut in his first major tournament in the upcoming finals. The Manchester City forward scored 16 times in qualifying matches to drag his country to their initial berth since 1998.

Few have been able to rival the 25-year-old's ridiculous goalscoring feats—except for one player is set to come up against him in the last match of group games. Together with The Lions of Teranga, Norway have been paired with the French superstar's France.

This means the top marksmen in the Premier League and Spain's division will go head-to-head for the initial occasion in international football. Expect goals. Plenty of scoring.

We Meet Again

Mexico will take on Bafana Bafana in the opening match—and not for the first time. The sides also kicked off the tournament in South Africa. That game, which finished 1-1, is best remembered for a thunderous goal.

Another notable fixture will see France once more face the Senegalese, who shocked the reigning title-holders back in the 2002 World Cup. On that first day, a future Fulham midfielder upstaged France's galaxy of stars to score the decisive goal.

Fantasy Fixtures for the First-Timers

Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Jordan and Curacao have taken advantage of the expanded World Cup to qualify for the tournament for the first occasion. However, standing in their way are past winners, continental title-holders and South American champions.

In one group, Curacao, the least populous country to ever feature in a World Cup, will meet multiple winners Germany. The island nation, with a resident count of around 600,000, will face European champions and 2010 World Cup winners Spain.

The Middle Eastern side, after decades of trying, will face defending champions Argentina and the legendary forward. Meanwhile, The Central Asian team will be led by a 2006 World Cup winner against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.

And Then Comes the Playoff Rounds?

Assuming all the top teams make it safely through their groups, we shouldn't have to wait for the heavyweights to meet. The round of 32 is where things could get really tasty, most notably with a possible matchup between former champions the Germans and France.

On the opposite half of the bracket, eyes will be drawn to the quarter-final stage, where historic adversaries Messi and Ronaldo are set for a possible showdown. It would depend on both Messi's team and Portugal finishing top and squeezing through the initial playoffs.

Regarding the Three Lions, a game against tournament hosts seems the probable last-32 tie. Should the Scots are able to get through, Japan or the Dutch could await in what would be their historic World Cup knockout fixture.