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The upcoming World Cup is at last beginning to seem tangible. Although fans are now able to begin marking their calendars, Friday's ceremony in Washington DC was full of significant headlines.

Well before the iconic group performed with their classic hit, we were left picking the bones out of a opening round featuring a clash between football's top strikers and a playoff bracket promising a highly anticipated meeting between legends of the sport.

The Draw That Seemed Like It May Never End

Many people tuned in eager to discover their national side's initial fixtures. But, even though fans are used to these draws being lengthy, this was extraordinary.

After performances by a pop star and Nicole Scherzinger, speeches from political leaders and football's governing body, plus countless video packages and interviews, it eventually appeared to begin nearly an hour later. Or so we thought.

This led to further commentary and performances, before the real selection process finally commenced around 90 minutes after the star-studded show initially started. The draw itself then required almost an hour to finish.

Moving On to the Football Itself...

The upcoming tournament will be the largest in the competition's history, with a unprecedented number of nations and a first-ever additional knockout round. 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 major nations. The Three Lions' match with Croatia is the most significant theoretically. That is the sole opening-round game with two teams inside the world's elite.

The Selecao versus Morocco is the next best. The Netherlands have the toughest group by Fifa world rankings, while Die Mannschaft—grouped with Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the weakest. Nevertheless, compelling contests still await.

Two Goal Machines Face Off

Phenomenal striker Erling Haaland will get a crack at his first major tournament in the upcoming finals. The Manchester City forward scored 16 times in qualifying matches to drag his nation 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 set to face him in the final round of the group stage. Along with The Lions of Teranga, The Nordic side have been drawn against Kylian Mbappe's Les Bleus.

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

A Familiar Foe

El Tri will take on South Africa in the opening match—and not for the first time. The sides also kicked off the 2010 edition. That match, ending 1-1, is most famous for a thunderous goal.

Another notable fixture will see the French again come up against the Senegalese, who shocked the reigning title-holders back in 2002. On that opening night, a future Fulham midfielder outshone France's cast of star names to score the decisive goal.

Dream Ties for the First-Timers

Four new nations have benefited from the expanded World Cup to reach the finals for the first occasion. But, awaiting them are former world champions, European champions and Copa America winners.

In one group, the tiny Caribbean island, the smallest nation to ever feature in a World Cup, will meet multiple winners Die Mannschaft. The island nation, with a resident count of around 600,000, will face European champions and 2010 World Cup winners Spain.

Jordan, after decades of trying, meets defending champions Argentina and the legendary forward. Meanwhile, The Central Asian team will be guided by a former champion against Cristiano Ronaldo's Selecao das Quinas.

What About the Knockout Stage?

If all the top teams make it safely through their groups, fans may not wait long for the big hitters to collide. The last 16 is where things could get extremely interesting, most notably with a possible matchup between past winners the Germans and the French.

On the opposite half of the bracket, eyes will be drawn to the last eight, where historic adversaries Messi and Ronaldo are lined up for a potential showdown. It would require both Argentina and Portugal finishing top and squeezing through the early knockout rounds.

For England, a game against tournament hosts seems the most likely first knockout game. And, if Scotland progress, Japan or the Netherlands could be waiting in what would be their historic World Cup playoff match.