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Next summer's global tournament is at last beginning to seem tangible. While fans are now able to begin planning their schedules, Friday's ceremony in Washington DC was not short of major talking points.

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

The Ceremony That Seemed Like It Would Go On Forever

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

After performances by a pop star and Nicole Scherzinger, addresses from dignitaries and Fifa officials, plus numerous montages and interviews, it eventually appeared to begin almost 60 minutes later. Or so we thought.

Cue more interviews and performances, before the actual draw finally commenced around 90 minutes after the glitzy event initially started. The selection then required almost an hour to finish.

Moving On to the Actual Football...

The upcoming tournament will be the biggest in history, with a record 48 teams and a new round of 32. However, this increase in size has maybe resulted in the group stage being slightly diluted in overall strength.

There are very few matches between the traditional powerhouses. The Three Lions' game against their 2018 semi-final opponents is the most significant theoretically. That is the sole opening-round game featuring two teams inside the world's elite.

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

A Pair of Prolific Scorers Go Head-to-Head

Phenomenal striker Norway's star will make his debut in his major international competition in the upcoming finals. The Manchester City forward netted 16 goals in qualifying matches to single-handedly carry his country to their first appearance since 1998.

Few have managed to rival 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. Along with The Lions of Teranga, The Nordic side have been paired with the French superstar's France.

This means the leading scorers in the English top flight and Spain's division will clash for the first time in international football. Anticipate goals. Lots of goals.

A Familiar Foe

Mexico will face South Africa in the opening match—repeating history. The sides also kicked off the tournament in South Africa. That game, which finished 1-1, is best remembered for a rasping second-half strike.

Another notable fixture will see the French again come up against the Senegalese, who stunned the reigning title-holders back in the 2002 World Cup. On that first day, a future Fulham midfielder upstaged France's cast of star names to score the winning goal.

Dream Ties for the Debutants

Four new nations have benefited from the expanded World Cup to qualify for the tournament for the first time. But, standing in their way are former world champions, European champions and South American champions.

In one group, Curacao, the least populous country to ever play at a World Cup, will take on four-time winners Germany. The island nation, with a resident count of around half a million, will face Euro winners and former champions Spain.

Jordan, after 40 years of trying, meets defending champions Argentina and the legendary forward. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be led by a 2006 World Cup winner against the Portuguese icon's Selecao das Quinas.

And Then Comes the Knockout Stage?

If all the favorites make it safely through their groups, fans may not wait long for the heavyweights to collide. The last 16 is where things could get extremely interesting, most notably with a potential tie between former champions the Germans and France.

On the opposite half of the bracket, eyes will be fixed on the quarter-final stage, where historic adversaries Messi and Ronaldo are set for a potential showdown. It would depend on both Argentina and Portugal finishing top and navigating the initial playoffs.

For England, a match with tournament hosts seems the probable last-32 tie. And, if Scotland progress, Japan or the Netherlands could await in what would be their first ever World Cup knockout fixture.