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The upcoming global tournament is at last beginning to seem very real. Although supporters can finally start marking their calendars, Friday's draw in the US capital was not short of major talking points.

Long before the iconic group took to the stage with YMCA, we were left picking the bones out of a group stage featuring a showdown between football's top forwards and a knockout stage promising a truly mouthwatering meeting between two greats of the sport.

The Ceremony That Felt Like It May Never End

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

After performances by a pop star and a former Pussycat Doll, addresses from political leaders and football's governing body, plus numerous video packages and interviews, it eventually appeared to begin nearly an hour later. That was an illusion.

This led to more interviews and performances, before the actual draw eventually began nearly an hour and a half after the star-studded show initially started. The draw itself then required almost an hour to complete.

Moving On to the Football Itself...

The upcoming tournament will be the largest in history, with a unprecedented number of nations and a first-ever additional knockout round. Yet, this expansion has perhaps led to the initial phase being somewhat weakened in quality.

There are hardly any matches between the major nations. The Three Lions' game against Croatia is the most significant theoretically. That is the sole opening-round game featuring two teams inside the world's elite.

The Selecao versus The Atlas Lions is the second most intriguing. The Netherlands have the toughest group by Fifa world rankings, while Germany—grouped with less-fancied opponents—have the weakest. Nevertheless, interesting matches still await.

Two Prolific Scorers Go Head-to-Head

Generational goalgetter Norway's star will make his debut in his first major tournament next summer. The Manchester City forward netted 16 goals in eight matches to single-handedly carry his country to their first appearance since 1998.

Hardly any have been able to come close to the 25-year-old's ridiculous goalscoring feats—except for one player is scheduled to come up against him in the last match of group games. Together with Senegal, Norway have been drawn against Kylian Mbappe's Les Bleus.

This means the top marksmen in the Premier League and La Liga will go head-to-head for the first time 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 opened the 2010 edition. That match, ending 1-1, is most famous for a rasping goal.

Another eye-catching fixture will see France again come up against the Senegalese, who stunned the then-world champions back in 2002. On that opening night, a then-unknown player outshone France's cast of star names to score the decisive goal.

Fantasy Fixtures for the Debutants

Four new nations have benefited from the larger World Cup to qualify for the tournament for the first time. But, awaiting them are past winners, European champions and South American champions.

In one group, Curacao, the smallest nation to ever feature in a World Cup, will take on four-time winners Germany. The island nation, with a population of around half a million, will face Euro winners and former champions Spain.

The Middle Eastern side, after decades of trying, meets title-holders La Albiceleste and the legendary forward. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be guided by a 2006 World Cup winner against the Portuguese icon's Portugal.

What About the Knockout Stage?

If all the favorites progress from their groups, we shouldn't have to wait for the big hitters to meet. The last 16 is where things could get extremely interesting, most notably with a possible matchup between past winners the Germans and France.

On the other side of the bracket, eyes will be fixed on the quarter-final stage, where old rivals the Argentine and the Portuguese are set for a possible clash. It would require both Messi's team and Portugal finishing top and squeezing through the early knockout rounds.

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