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The upcoming global tournament is at last beginning to seem tangible. Although supporters are now able to begin marking their calendars, Friday's ceremony in the US capital was full of major talking points.

Long before the Village People performed with their classic hit, we were left analyzing a group stage featuring a showdown between two of the world's best strikers and a knockout stage promising a truly mouthwatering meeting between legends of the game.

The Ceremony That Seemed Like It Would Go On Forever

Numerous viewers logged on keen to discover their national side's initial opponents. However, even though supporters are accustomed to these draws taking some time, this was extraordinary.

After acts by Robbie Williams and a former Pussycat Doll, addresses from dignitaries and Fifa officials, plus countless montages and discussions, it eventually appeared to get going nearly an hour later. Or so we thought.

This led to more interviews and entertainment, before the actual draw eventually began around 90 minutes after the star-studded show first kicked off. The selection then took 59 minutes to finish.

Moving On to the Actual Football...

The upcoming tournament will be the largest in history, with a unprecedented number of nations and a new round of 32. However, this increase in size has maybe resulted in the group stage being somewhat weakened in quality.

There are very few fixtures between the traditional powerhouses. England's game against their 2018 semi-final opponents is the most significant on paper. That is the sole opening-round game featuring two teams inside the world's elite.

Brazil versus The Atlas Lions is the next best. The Netherlands have the most difficult draw by Fifa world rankings, while Germany—drawn against less-fancied opponents—have the weakest. But, 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 eight matches to single-handedly carry his country to their initial berth since 1998.

Hardly any have managed to rival the youngster's ridiculous goalscoring feats—except for one player is scheduled to come up against him in the last match of group games. Together with The Lions of Teranga, The Nordic side have been drawn against Kylian Mbappe'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. Expect goals. Lots of goals.

We Meet Again

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

Another notable group game will see the French once more face Senegal, who shocked the reigning title-holders back in the 2002 World Cup. On that opening night, a future Fulham midfielder upstaged 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 qualify for the tournament for the first time. But, standing in their way are past winners, European champions and South American champions.

In one group, Curacao, the least populous country to ever feature in a World Cup, will meet multiple winners Die Mannschaft. Cape Verde, with a population of around 600,000, will face Euro winners and former champions La Roja.

Jordan, after 40 years of trying, will face title-holders Argentina and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be guided by a 2006 World Cup winner against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.

What About the Playoff Rounds?

If all the favorites make it safely through their groups, we shouldn't have to wait for the big hitters to collide. The round of 32 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 draw, eyes will be drawn to the quarter-final stage, where historic adversaries Messi and Ronaldo are lined up for a potential clash. It would depend on both Argentina and Ronaldo's side finishing top and squeezing through the initial playoffs.

For England, a game against co-hosts Mexico seems the probable first knockout game. Should Scotland progress, Japan or the Dutch could be waiting in what would be their first ever World Cup playoff match.