Haaland vs Mbappe, Fantasy Fixtures and YMCA: The Highlights from the World Cup Draw

Next summer's global tournament is finally starting to feel tangible. While fans are now able to begin marking their calendars, Friday's ceremony in Washington DC was not short of significant headlines.

Well before the Village People took to the stage with their classic hit, observers were picking the bones out of a group stage featuring a clash between football's top forwards and a knockout stage promising a highly anticipated encounter between two greats of the game.

The Ceremony That Seemed Like It May Never End

Numerous viewers tuned in eager to discover their national side's initial opponents. But, even though supporters are used to these draws taking some time, this was extraordinary.

Following acts by Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger, addresses from political leaders and football's governing body, 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 real selection process finally commenced around 90 minutes after the glitzy event first kicked off. The selection then required almost an hour to finish.

On to the Football Itself...

The upcoming World Cup will be the biggest in the competition's history, with a record 48 teams and a new round of 32. However, this increase in size has maybe resulted in the initial phase being somewhat weakened in overall strength.

There are hardly any fixtures between the major nations. The Three Lions' game against Croatia is the biggest 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 toughest group by Fifa world rankings, while Germany—grouped with Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the easiest on paper. Nevertheless, interesting matches still await.

Two Goal Machines Go Head-to-Head

Generational goalgetter Norway's star will get a crack at his major international competition in the upcoming finals. The Premier League striker netted 16 goals in eight matches to drag his nation to their first appearance since 1998.

Few have managed to come close to the 25-year-old's incredible scoring records—except for one player is scheduled to come up against him in the last match of the group stage. Along with Senegal, Norway have been drawn against the French superstar's France.

This means the leading scorers in the English top flight and La Liga will go head-to-head for the initial occasion in international football. Anticipate goals. Plenty of scoring.

We Meet Again

El Tri will face South Africa in the first game—repeating history. The sides also kicked off the tournament in South Africa. That game, which finished 1-1, is best remembered for a rasping second-half strike.

Another notable fixture will see the French once more face Senegal, who shocked the then-world champions back in 2002. On that opening night, a then-unknown player upstaged France's galaxy of stars to score the decisive goal.

Fantasy Fixtures for the Debutants

Four new nations have benefited from the expanded World Cup to reach the finals for the first time. But, standing in their way are former world champions, continental title-holders and Copa America winners.

In one group, Curacao, the smallest nation to ever play at a World Cup, will take on four-time winners Germany. The island nation, with a resident count of around 600,000, will face Euro winners and 2010 World Cup winners Spain.

Jordan, after decades of trying, will face title-holders Argentina and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be led by a former champion against the Portuguese icon's Selecao das Quinas.

And Then Comes the Knockout Stage?

Assuming all the top teams progress from their groups, fans may not wait long for the big hitters to collide. The round of 32 is where things could get really tasty, most notably with a potential tie between past winners the Germans and the French.

On the other side of the draw, eyes will be drawn to the last eight, where old rivals the Argentine and Ronaldo are lined up for a possible showdown. It would depend on both Messi's team and Ronaldo's side finishing top and navigating the initial playoffs.

For England, a game against tournament hosts seems the probable last-32 tie. And, if Scotland progress, Japan or the Dutch could await in what would be their first ever World Cup playoff match.