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The upcoming World Cup is at last starting to feel tangible. While fans are now able to begin planning their schedules, Friday's ceremony in Washington DC was full of major talking points.

Long before the Village People performed with their classic hit, we were left picking the bones out of a opening round featuring a showdown between football's top strikers and a knockout stage promising a truly mouthwatering meeting between legends of the game.

The Draw That Felt Like It Would Go On Forever

Numerous viewers tuned in eager to discover their national side's group stage fixtures. However, despite the fact supporters are accustomed to such ceremonies taking some time, this was extraordinary.

After performances by a pop star and a former Pussycat Doll, addresses from dignitaries and Fifa officials, plus countless montages and interviews, it eventually appeared to get going nearly an hour later. That was an illusion.

This led to further commentary and performances, before the actual draw eventually began around 90 minutes after the glitzy event first kicked off. The draw itself then required almost an hour to finish.

Moving On to the Football Itself...

Next summer's World Cup will be the largest in 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 somewhat weakened in overall strength.

There are very few matches between the traditional powerhouses. England's match with Croatia is the most significant on paper. That is the only group fixture with two teams ranked in the top 10.

The Selecao versus Morocco is the next best. The Dutch have the most difficult draw by official standings, while Germany—grouped with less-fancied opponents—have the easiest on paper. Nevertheless, interesting matches remain.

Two Goal Machines Go Head-to-Head

Phenomenal striker Erling Haaland will get a crack at his first major tournament next summer. The Manchester City forward scored 16 times in qualifying matches to single-handedly carry his country to their initial berth since 1998.

Hardly any have managed to come close to the youngster's ridiculous goalscoring feats—except for one player is scheduled to face him in the final round of group games. Along with The Lions of Teranga, Norway have been paired with the French superstar's Les Bleus.

This means the leading scorers in the Premier League and La Liga will clash for the first time in on the global stage. Anticipate goals. Lots of goals.

We Meet Again

Mexico will face Bafana Bafana in the first game—repeating history. The sides also kicked off the 2010 edition. That game, which finished 1-1, is most famous for a rasping goal.

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

Dream Ties for the Debutants

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, continental title-holders and Copa America winners.

In one group, Curacao, the least populous country to ever play at a World Cup, will take on four-time winners Germany. Cape Verde, with a resident count of around half a million, will face European champions and 2010 World Cup winners La Roja.

The Middle Eastern side, after 40 years of trying, meets defending champions Argentina and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be guided by a 2006 World Cup winner against Cristiano Ronaldo's Selecao das Quinas.

And Then Comes the Playoff Rounds?

If all the favorites progress from their groups, fans may not wait long for the heavyweights to meet. The round of 32 is where things could get really tasty, most notably with a potential tie between former champions the Germans and France.

On the other side of the bracket, eyes will be fixed on the last eight, where historic adversaries the Argentine and the Portuguese are lined up for a possible clash. It would require both Messi's team and Ronaldo's side finishing top and squeezing through the early knockout rounds.

Regarding the Three Lions, a game against tournament hosts seems the probable last-32 tie. Should the Scots progress, Samurai Blue or the Dutch could await in what would be their first ever World Cup playoff match.