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Next summer's global tournament is finally beginning to seem very real. While fans can finally start planning their schedules, Friday's ceremony in Washington DC was not short of significant headlines.

Long before the iconic group performed with YMCA, observers were analyzing a group stage featuring a clash between two of the world's best forwards and a playoff bracket promising a truly mouthwatering meeting between legends of the game.

The Ceremony That Seemed Like It Would Go On Forever

Numerous viewers logged on eager to discover their team's initial fixtures. However, despite the fact fans are accustomed to these draws taking some time, this was extraordinary.

After acts by a pop star and a former Pussycat Doll, addresses from dignitaries and football's governing body, plus numerous video packages and discussions, it eventually appeared to begin almost 60 minutes later. Or so we thought.

This led to more interviews and performances, before the actual draw eventually began nearly an hour and a half after the glitzy event first kicked off. The selection then took 59 minutes to complete.

Moving On to the Actual Football...

The upcoming tournament will be the biggest in the competition's history, with a unprecedented number of nations and a first-ever additional knockout round. Yet, this increase in size has maybe resulted in the group stage being slightly diluted in quality.

There are hardly any fixtures between the major nations. England's match with their 2018 semi-final opponents is the biggest theoretically. That is the sole opening-round game with two teams ranked in the top 10.

The Selecao versus Morocco is the second most intriguing. The Netherlands have the toughest group by Fifa world rankings, while Germany—drawn against less-fancied opponents—have the easiest on paper. Nevertheless, interesting matches remain.

Two Prolific Scorers Go Head-to-Head

Generational goalgetter Norway's star will make his debut in his major international competition in the upcoming finals. The Premier League striker scored 16 times in eight matches to single-handedly carry his nation to their first appearance since 1998.

Hardly any have managed to come close to the youngster's ridiculous scoring records—but someone who has is scheduled to come up against him in the last match of group games. Along with Senegal, The Nordic side have been drawn against the French superstar's Les Bleus.

This means the leading scorers in the English top flight and La Liga will clash for the first time in international football. Expect goals. Lots of goals.

A Familiar Foe

El Tri will take on South Africa in the opening match—repeating history. The sides also opened the tournament in South Africa. That match, ending 1-1, is best remembered for a thunderous goal.

Another eye-catching group game will see the French again come up against 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 decisive goal.

Fantasy Fixtures for the Debutants

Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Jordan and Curacao have taken advantage of the expanded World Cup to qualify for the finals for the first time. However, awaiting them are past winners, continental title-holders and South American champions.

In one group, Curacao, the smallest nation to ever play at a World Cup, will take on multiple winners Die Mannschaft. The island nation, with a population of around half a million, will face European champions and former champions Spain.

Jordan, after 40 years of trying, will face title-holders La Albiceleste and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, The Central Asian team will be guided by a 2006 World Cup winner 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 collide. The round of 32 is where things could get really tasty, most notably with a possible matchup between past winners the Germans and the French.

On the other side of the bracket, eyes will be drawn to the quarter-final stage, where historic adversaries the Argentine and Ronaldo are set for a possible clash. It would require both Messi's team and Portugal winning their groups and squeezing through the initial playoffs.

Regarding the Three Lions, a match with co-hosts Mexico seems the probable last-32 tie. Should Scotland are able to get through, Japan or the Dutch could be waiting in what would be their first ever World Cup knockout fixture.