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Next summer's global tournament is finally starting to feel very real. While fans are now able to begin planning their schedules, Friday's draw in the US capital was full of significant headlines.

Well before the iconic group took to the stage with their classic hit, we were left picking the bones out of a opening round that includes a showdown between football's top forwards and a playoff bracket promising a highly anticipated meeting between legends of the game.

The Ceremony That Seemed Like It Would Go On Forever

Many people logged on eager to discover their national side's initial fixtures. But, even though fans are used to such ceremonies being lengthy, this was extraordinary.

After performances by Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger, addresses from dignitaries and Fifa officials, plus numerous video packages and interviews, it eventually appeared to get going nearly an hour later. That was an illusion.

This led to more interviews and entertainment, before the real selection process finally commenced around 90 minutes after the star-studded show initially started. The draw itself then took 59 minutes to complete.

Moving On to the Actual Football...

The upcoming World Cup will be the largest in the competition's history, with a unprecedented number of nations and a new round of 32. Yet, this expansion has maybe resulted in the group stage being somewhat weakened in overall strength.

There are hardly any matches between the traditional powerhouses. England's game against their 2018 semi-final opponents is the biggest theoretically. That is the sole opening-round game with two teams inside the world's elite.

The Selecao versus Morocco is the next best. The Dutch have the most difficult draw by Fifa world rankings, while Die Mannschaft—grouped with Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the weakest. Nevertheless, compelling contests still await.

A Pair of Goal Machines Go Head-to-Head

Phenomenal striker Norway's star will get a crack at his first major tournament in the upcoming finals. 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 come close to the 25-year-old's incredible scoring records—except for one player is set to face him in the final round of the group stage. Together with Senegal, The Nordic side have been paired with Kylian Mbappe's Les Bleus.

This means the leading scorers in the English top flight and La Liga will clash for the initial occasion in on the global stage. Expect goals. Plenty of scoring.

We Meet Again

El Tri will take on Bafana Bafana in the first game—repeating history. The sides also opened the tournament in South Africa. That game, ending 1-1, is most famous for a thunderous goal.

Another notable fixture 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 galaxy of stars to score the decisive goal.

Dream Ties for the Debutants

Four new nations have taken advantage of the larger World Cup to qualify for the finals for the first time. However, standing in their way are past winners, European champions and South American champions.

In one group, the tiny Caribbean island, the smallest nation to ever feature in a World Cup, will meet four-time winners Die Mannschaft. The island nation, with a resident count of around half a million, will face Euro winners and former champions Spain.

Jordan, after decades of trying, will face title-holders Argentina and the legendary forward. Meanwhile, The Central Asian team will be guided by a 2006 World Cup winner against the Portuguese icon's Selecao das Quinas.

And Then Comes the Knockout Stage?

If all the top teams make it safely through their groups, fans may not wait long for the big hitters to meet. The last 16 is where things could get extremely interesting, most notably with a possible matchup between past winners Germany and France.

On the other side of the draw, eyes will be fixed on the quarter-final stage, where historic adversaries the Argentine and Ronaldo are lined up for a potential showdown. It would depend on both Argentina and Ronaldo's side finishing top and squeezing through the initial playoffs.

For England, a game against tournament hosts seems the most likely first knockout game. Should the Scots progress, Samurai Blue or the Dutch could be waiting in what would be their historic World Cup knockout fixture.