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Next summer's global tournament is at last beginning to seem tangible. While supporters can finally start marking their calendars, the recent draw in Washington DC was full of significant headlines.

Long before the Village People took to the stage with their classic hit, observers were analyzing a group stage featuring a showdown between football's top forwards and a knockout stage that could produce a highly anticipated meeting between two greats of the game.

The Ceremony That Felt Like It May Never End

Many people logged on eager to discover their national side's group stage fixtures. But, even though supporters are accustomed to such ceremonies taking some time, this was extraordinary.

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

This led to further commentary and performances, before the real selection process eventually began nearly an hour and a half after the star-studded show initially started. The selection then required almost an hour to complete.

Moving On to the Actual Football...

Next summer's 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 perhaps led to the group stage being somewhat weakened in quality.

There are very few fixtures between the traditional powerhouses. England's game against Croatia is the biggest theoretically. That is the only group fixture with two teams ranked in the top 10.

The Selecao versus Morocco is the second most intriguing. The Dutch have the most difficult draw by Fifa world rankings, while Germany—grouped with Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the easiest on paper. But, compelling contests still await.

A Pair of Prolific Scorers Face Off

Generational goalgetter Norway's star will get a crack at his major international competition in the upcoming finals. The Premier League forward netted 16 goals in eight matches to single-handedly carry his nation to their initial berth since 1998.

Few have been able to come close to the 25-year-old's ridiculous goalscoring feats—but someone who has is set to come up against him in the final round of the group stage. Along with Senegal, The Nordic side have been drawn against Kylian Mbappe's France.

This means the leading scorers in the Premier League and Spain's division will go head-to-head for the initial occasion in international football. Expect net-bulgers. Plenty of scoring.

A Familiar Foe

El Tri will face South Africa in the opening match—and not for the first time. The sides also kicked off the tournament in South Africa. That match, ending 1-1, is most famous for a rasping second-half strike.

Another notable group game will see France again come up against Senegal, who shocked the then-world champions back in 2002. On that opening night, a future Fulham midfielder outshone 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 expanded World Cup to qualify for the tournament for the first occasion. However, standing in their way are former world champions, European champions and Copa America winners.

In one group, the tiny Caribbean island, the smallest nation to ever feature in a World Cup, will take on four-time winners Germany. Cape Verde, with a population of around half a million, will face European champions and former champions La Roja.

Jordan, after decades of trying, will face defending champions Argentina and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, The Central Asian team will be led by a 2006 World Cup winner against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.

What About the Knockout Stage?

Assuming all the top teams make it safely through their groups, we shouldn't have to wait for the heavyweights to meet. The round of 32 is where things could get extremely interesting, most notably with a possible matchup between past winners Germany and the French.

On the other side of the draw, eyes will be fixed on the last eight, where old rivals Messi and Ronaldo are lined up for a possible showdown. It would require both Messi's team and Portugal winning their groups and navigating the early knockout rounds.

For England, a match with tournament hosts seems the probable first knockout game. Should Scotland are able to get through, Samurai Blue or the Netherlands could be waiting in what would be their historic World Cup playoff match.