Mbappe vs Haaland, Fantasy Fixtures and The Village People: Key Moments from the World Cup Draw

The upcoming global tournament is finally starting to feel very real. Although fans can finally start planning their schedules, the recent ceremony in Washington DC was full of major talking points.

Long before the Village People took to the stage with their classic hit, observers were picking the bones out of a opening round featuring a clash between football's top strikers and a knockout stage promising a highly anticipated encounter between legends of the game.

The Ceremony That Seemed Like It May Never End

Many people logged on keen to find out their national side's group stage opponents. But, even though fans are accustomed to such ceremonies being lengthy, this was extraordinary.

Following performances by Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger, speeches from political leaders and football's governing body, plus numerous video packages and discussions, it eventually appeared to get going nearly an hour later. Or so we thought.

This led to further commentary and performances, before the actual draw finally commenced nearly an hour and a half after the star-studded show initially started. The selection then took 59 minutes to finish.

Moving On to the Football Itself...

Next summer's tournament 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 slightly diluted in overall strength.

There are very few matches between the major nations. England's game against their 2018 semi-final opponents is the most significant on paper. That is the only group fixture with two teams inside the world's elite.

Brazil versus The Atlas Lions is the next best. The Netherlands have the toughest group by official standings, while Die Mannschaft—grouped with less-fancied opponents—have the weakest. Nevertheless, interesting matches still await.

Two Prolific Scorers Go Head-to-Head

Phenomenal striker Norway's star will get a crack at his major international competition next summer. The Premier League forward scored 16 times in qualifying matches to single-handedly carry his nation to their first appearance since 1998.

Few have been able to rival the 25-year-old's ridiculous scoring records—but someone who has is set to face him in the final round of the group stage. Along with Senegal, The Nordic side have been drawn against the French superstar's France.

This means the top marksmen in the Premier League and La Liga will clash for the first time in on the global stage. Anticipate net-bulgers. Plenty of scoring.

We Meet Again

El Tri will face Bafana Bafana in the opening match—repeating history. The sides also kicked off the tournament in South Africa. That match, ending 1-1, is most famous for a thunderous goal.

Another eye-catching group game will see the French once more face the Senegalese, who stunned the reigning title-holders back in the 2002 World Cup. On that opening night, a future Fulham midfielder upstaged France's galaxy of stars to score the winning goal.

Dream Ties 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. But, standing in their way are past winners, continental title-holders and South American champions.

In one group, Curacao, the least populous country to ever play at a World Cup, will take on multiple winners Germany. Cape Verde, with a resident count of around half a million, will face European champions and former champions La Roja.

Jordan, after decades of trying, meets 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.

What About the Knockout Stage?

Assuming all the favorites 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 possible matchup between past winners the Germans and the French.

On the other side of the bracket, eyes will be drawn to the quarter-final stage, where historic adversaries the Argentine and the Portuguese are set for a possible clash. It would require both Argentina and Portugal winning their groups and navigating the early knockout rounds.

For England, a match with tournament hosts seems the most likely last-32 tie. Should Scotland are able to get through, Japan or the Dutch could be waiting in what would be their historic World Cup knockout fixture.