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Next summer's global tournament is at last beginning to seem tangible. While supporters are now able to begin marking their calendars, Friday's draw in Washington DC was not short of major talking points.

Well before the Village People performed with YMCA, observers were analyzing a opening round featuring a showdown between two of the world's best strikers and a knockout stage promising a highly anticipated meeting between two greats of the game.

The Ceremony That Seemed Like It Would Go On Forever

Numerous viewers tuned in keen to discover their national side's group stage opponents. However, despite the fact fans are accustomed to these draws taking some time, this one set a new standard.

After performances by Robbie Williams and a former Pussycat Doll, addresses from political leaders and football's governing body, plus countless video packages and interviews, it eventually appeared to begin almost 60 minutes later. That was an illusion.

Cue more interviews and entertainment, before the real selection process eventually began around 90 minutes after the glitzy event first kicked off. The selection then required almost an hour to finish.

Moving On to the Football Itself...

Next summer's World Cup will be the biggest in history, with a unprecedented number of nations and a first-ever additional knockout round. Yet, this increase in size has perhaps led to the initial phase being somewhat weakened in overall strength.

There are hardly any matches between the major nations. England's game against 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.

Brazil versus Morocco is the next best. The Netherlands have the toughest group by Fifa world rankings, while Germany—drawn against Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the easiest on paper. But, compelling contests still await.

Two Goal Machines Go Head-to-Head

Phenomenal striker Norway's star 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 nation to their initial berth since 1998.

Few have been able to rival the youngster's ridiculous goalscoring feats—but someone who has is scheduled to come up against him in the final round of the group stage. Together with Senegal, The Nordic side have been drawn against Kylian Mbappe's France.

This means the top marksmen in the Premier League and Spain's division will go head-to-head for the first time in on the global stage. Anticipate goals. Plenty of scoring.

A Familiar Foe

El Tri will take on South Africa in the first game—repeating history. The sides also kicked off the 2010 edition. That match, which finished 1-1, is best remembered for a thunderous goal.

Another notable group game will see the French again come up against 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 cast of star names to score the winning goal.

Fantasy Fixtures for the Debutants

Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Jordan and Curacao have taken advantage of the larger World Cup to reach the tournament for the first occasion. However, standing in their way are past winners, continental title-holders 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 Germany. The island nation, with a resident count of around 600,000, will face Euro winners and former champions La Roja.

The Middle Eastern side, after 40 years of trying, will face defending champions Argentina and the legendary forward. Meanwhile, The Central Asian team will be guided by a 2006 World Cup winner against the Portuguese icon's Selecao das Quinas.

What About the Playoff Rounds?

If all the top teams make it safely through their groups, fans may not wait long for the heavyweights to collide. The round of 32 is where things could get really tasty, most notably with a possible matchup between past winners Germany and the French.

On the other side of the bracket, eyes will be fixed on the quarter-final stage, where historic adversaries the Argentine and the Portuguese are lined up for a potential showdown. It would depend on both Messi's team and Portugal finishing top and navigating the early knockout rounds.

Regarding the Three Lions, a match with co-hosts Mexico seems the most likely first knockout game. And, if Scotland are able to get through, Samurai Blue or the Dutch could await in what would be their historic World Cup playoff match.