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The upcoming global tournament is at last beginning to seem tangible. Although supporters can finally start marking their calendars, Friday's ceremony in Washington DC was not short of significant headlines.

Long before the iconic group performed with YMCA, observers were picking the bones out of a group stage featuring a showdown between two of the world's best forwards and a playoff bracket that could produce a highly anticipated meeting between legends of the game.

The Draw That Seemed Like It May Never End

Numerous viewers tuned in keen to discover their team's initial fixtures. But, despite the fact fans are used to such ceremonies being lengthy, this one set a new standard.

Following acts by Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger, addresses from dignitaries and football's governing body, plus numerous video packages and interviews, it finally seemed to begin almost 60 minutes later. That was an illusion.

Cue more interviews and entertainment, before the real selection process eventually began nearly an hour and a half after the star-studded show first kicked off. The selection then took 59 minutes to finish.

Moving On to the Football Itself...

The upcoming World Cup will be the largest in the competition's history, with a unprecedented number of nations and a first-ever additional knockout round. Yet, this expansion has perhaps led to the group stage being somewhat weakened in quality.

There are very few 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 second most intriguing. The Netherlands have the toughest group by official standings, while Germany—grouped with Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the weakest. Nevertheless, interesting matches still await.

A Pair of Prolific Scorers Go Head-to-Head

Phenomenal striker Norway's star will make his debut in his first major tournament in the upcoming finals. The Manchester City forward netted 16 goals in eight matches to drag his nation to their initial berth since 1998.

Hardly any have managed to rival the youngster's incredible scoring records—but someone who has is set to face him in the final round of the group stage. Along with The Lions of Teranga, The Nordic side have been paired with Kylian Mbappe's France.

This means the leading scorers in the Premier League and La Liga will go head-to-head for the first time in on the global stage. Expect goals. Plenty of scoring.

A Familiar Foe

El Tri will take on Bafana Bafana in the first game—and not for the first time. The sides also kicked off the 2010 edition. That game, which finished 1-1, is best remembered for a rasping goal.

Another eye-catching group game will see the French once more face the Senegalese, who shocked the reigning title-holders back in 2002. On that opening night, a future Fulham midfielder upstaged France's cast of star names to score the winning goal.

Dream Ties for the Debutants

Four new nations have benefited from the expanded World Cup to reach the finals for the first occasion. But, standing in their way are past winners, continental title-holders and South American champions.

In one group, Curacao, the smallest nation to ever feature in a World Cup, will take on multiple winners Die Mannschaft. The island nation, with a resident count of around half a million, will face European champions and former champions La Roja.

The Middle Eastern side, after decades of trying, will face defending champions Argentina and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be guided by a former champion against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.

What About the Playoff Rounds?

If all the top teams make it safely through their groups, we shouldn't have to wait for the big hitters to meet. The round of 32 is where things could get really tasty, most notably with a possible matchup between former champions the Germans and France.

On the other side of the draw, eyes will be drawn to the quarter-final stage, where old rivals Messi and the Portuguese are set for a possible showdown. It would require both Argentina and Ronaldo's side winning their groups and navigating the initial playoffs.

For England, a game against tournament hosts seems the probable last-32 tie. And, if the Scots are able to get through, Samurai Blue or the Netherlands could be waiting in what would be their historic World Cup knockout fixture.