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The upcoming global tournament is at last starting to feel tangible. While fans are now able to begin planning their schedules, the recent ceremony in the US capital was not short of major talking points.

Long before the iconic group took to the stage with YMCA, we were left analyzing a opening round featuring a showdown between football's top strikers and a knockout stage that could produce a truly mouthwatering encounter between two greats of the sport.

The Ceremony That Seemed Like It May Never End

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

Following acts by Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger, speeches from dignitaries and football's governing body, plus numerous montages and interviews, it finally seemed to get going nearly an hour later. Or so we thought.

Cue further commentary and performances, before the real selection process finally commenced around 90 minutes after the glitzy event initially started. The draw itself then required almost an hour to finish.

Moving On to the Football Itself...

The upcoming tournament will be the biggest in history, with a unprecedented number of nations and a first-ever additional knockout round. However, this expansion has perhaps led to the group stage being slightly diluted in quality.

There are hardly any fixtures between the major nations. England's game against Croatia is the most significant theoretically. That is the only group fixture featuring two teams ranked in the top 10.

The Selecao versus Morocco is the next best. The Netherlands have the most difficult draw by official standings, while Germany—grouped with Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the weakest. Nevertheless, interesting matches remain.

A Pair of Prolific Scorers Go Head-to-Head

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

Hardly any have been able to rival the youngster's incredible goalscoring feats—except for one player is scheduled to face him in the final round of group games. Together with The Lions of Teranga, Norway have been paired with Kylian Mbappe's France.

This means the top marksmen in the English top flight and Spain's division will go head-to-head for the initial occasion in on the global stage. Expect goals. Lots of goals.

A Familiar Foe

El Tri will face Bafana Bafana in the opening match—and not for the first time. The sides also opened the 2010 edition. That game, which finished 1-1, is best remembered for a thunderous second-half strike.

Another notable group game will see the French again come up against the Senegalese, who shocked the then-world champions back in 2002. On that opening night, a future Fulham midfielder upstaged France's galaxy of stars to score the decisive goal.

Fantasy Fixtures for the First-Timers

Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Jordan and Curacao have taken advantage of the expanded World Cup to reach the finals for the first occasion. However, 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 four-time winners Germany. The island nation, with a population of around half a million, will face Euro winners and 2010 World Cup winners La Roja.

The Middle Eastern side, after decades of trying, will face title-holders Argentina and the legendary forward. 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 favorites progress from 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 former champions the Germans and France.

On the opposite half of the draw, eyes will be drawn to the quarter-final stage, where old rivals Messi and Ronaldo are lined up for a potential clash. It would depend on both Messi's team and Ronaldo's side finishing top and squeezing through the early knockout rounds.

For England, a game against tournament hosts seems the probable last-32 tie. Should the Scots are able to get through, Samurai Blue or the Netherlands could await in what would be their historic World Cup playoff match.