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Next summer's World Cup is finally beginning to seem very real. Although fans can finally start marking their calendars, Friday's draw in Washington DC was full of significant headlines.

Well before the Village People performed with their classic hit, we were left analyzing a group stage featuring a clash between two of the world's best strikers and a playoff bracket that could produce a truly mouthwatering encounter between legends of the game.

The Ceremony That Felt Like It May Never End

Numerous viewers logged on eager to find out their team's initial opponents. However, even though supporters are used to such ceremonies being lengthy, this one set a new standard.

After acts by a pop star and Nicole Scherzinger, addresses from dignitaries and football's governing body, plus countless video packages and interviews, it eventually appeared to get going nearly an hour later. That was an illusion.

Cue further commentary and entertainment, before the actual draw finally commenced nearly an hour and a half after the glitzy event first kicked off. The selection then took 59 minutes to complete.

On to the Actual Football...

The upcoming tournament will be the biggest in the competition's history, with a unprecedented number of nations and a first-ever additional knockout round. However, this expansion has perhaps led to the initial phase being slightly diluted in quality.

There are very few matches between the traditional powerhouses. England's match with their 2018 semi-final opponents is the most significant theoretically. That is the sole opening-round game with two teams ranked in the top 10.

The Selecao versus The Atlas Lions is the second most intriguing. The Netherlands have the toughest group by official standings, while Die Mannschaft—drawn against less-fancied opponents—have the weakest. But, interesting matches still await.

A Pair of Prolific Scorers Face Off

Phenomenal striker Erling Haaland will make his debut in his major international competition next summer. The Manchester City striker scored 16 times in eight matches to drag his country to their initial berth since 1998.

Hardly any have managed to come close to the youngster's ridiculous scoring records—except for one player is set to face him in the final round of the group stage. Together with The Lions of Teranga, The Nordic side have been paired with the French superstar's Les Bleus.

This means the top marksmen in the English top flight and La Liga will clash for the initial occasion in on the global stage. Expect net-bulgers. Plenty of scoring.

A Familiar Foe

Mexico will take on South Africa in the opening match—and not for the first time. The sides also opened the 2010 edition. That game, which finished 1-1, is most famous for a thunderous second-half strike.

Another eye-catching fixture will see France again come up against the Senegalese, who stunned the reigning title-holders back in the 2002 World Cup. On that opening night, a then-unknown player upstaged France's galaxy of stars to score the winning goal.

Fantasy Fixtures for the First-Timers

Four new nations have benefited from the larger World Cup to qualify for the tournament for the first time. However, standing in their way are past winners, European champions and Copa America winners.

In one group, the tiny Caribbean island, the least populous country to ever feature in a World Cup, will take on multiple winners Germany. The island nation, with a population of around 600,000, will face European champions and 2010 World Cup winners La Roja.

Jordan, after 40 years of trying, will face title-holders Argentina and the legendary forward. Meanwhile, The Central Asian team will be guided by a former champion against the Portuguese icon's Selecao das Quinas.

And Then Comes the Knockout Stage?

Assuming all the top teams progress from their groups, we shouldn't have to wait for the big hitters to meet. The round of 32 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 draw, eyes will be drawn to the quarter-final stage, where old rivals Messi and Ronaldo are lined up for a potential clash. It would require both Argentina and Portugal winning their groups and squeezing through the early knockout rounds.

For England, a game against tournament hosts seems the probable first knockout game. Should Scotland progress, Japan or the Netherlands could be waiting in what would be their historic World Cup knockout fixture.