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Next summer's World Cup is at last beginning to seem tangible. Although fans are now able to begin marking their calendars, Friday's draw in Washington DC was not short of major talking points.

Well before the Village People performed with YMCA, we were left picking the bones out of a opening round featuring a clash between two of the world's best forwards 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 logged on keen to discover their national side's group stage fixtures. However, even though fans are accustomed to these draws taking some time, this one set a new standard.

Following performances by a pop star and Nicole Scherzinger, speeches from political leaders and Fifa officials, plus numerous montages and discussions, it finally seemed to begin nearly an hour later. Or so we thought.

This led to further commentary 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 complete.

Moving On to the Actual Football...

Next summer's tournament will be the biggest in history, with a unprecedented number of nations and a first-ever additional knockout round. Yet, this expansion has perhaps led to 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 with two teams inside the world's elite.

Brazil versus The Atlas Lions is the second most intriguing. The Dutch have the toughest group by Fifa world rankings, while Die Mannschaft—grouped with Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the easiest on paper. Nevertheless, interesting matches still await.

Two Goal Machines Face Off

Phenomenal striker Erling Haaland will get a crack at his major international competition in the upcoming finals. The Premier League forward netted 16 goals in qualifying matches to single-handedly carry his country to their first appearance since 1998.

Hardly any have been able to come close to the youngster's ridiculous goalscoring feats—but someone who has is scheduled to face him in the final round of group games. Along with The Lions of Teranga, Norway have been paired with Kylian Mbappe's France.

This means the leading scorers in the English top flight and Spain's division will go head-to-head for the first time in international football. Expect goals. Plenty of scoring.

A Familiar Foe

Mexico will face South Africa in the opening match—and not for the first time. The two teams also kicked off the 2010 edition. That game, ending 1-1, is most famous for a rasping goal.

Another eye-catching group game will see the French again come up against Senegal, who shocked the then-world champions back in the 2002 World Cup. On that first day, a future Fulham midfielder upstaged France's cast of star names to score the decisive goal.

Fantasy Fixtures for the First-Timers

Four new nations have taken advantage of the larger World Cup to reach the tournament for the first occasion. But, standing in their way are former world champions, European champions and Copa America winners.

In one group, Curacao, the smallest nation to ever play at a World Cup, will take on multiple 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, meets title-holders La Albiceleste and the legendary forward. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be led by a former champion against the Portuguese icon's Selecao das Quinas.

What About the Playoff Rounds?

If all the top teams make it safely through their groups, we shouldn't have to wait for the heavyweights to meet. The last 16 is where things could get really tasty, most notably with a potential tie between former champions the Germans and the French.

On the other side of the bracket, eyes will be drawn to the quarter-final stage, where historic adversaries Messi and Ronaldo are lined up for a possible showdown. It would require both Messi's team and Portugal winning their groups and navigating the early knockout rounds.

For England, a match with tournament hosts seems the most likely first knockout game. And, if the Scots are able to get through, Samurai Blue or the Dutch could be waiting in what would be their historic World Cup playoff match.