Haaland vs Mbappe, Fantasy Fixtures and The Village People: The Highlights from the FIFA Draw Ceremony

The upcoming global tournament is finally starting to feel very real. Although fans can finally start marking their calendars, Friday's ceremony in the US capital was full of significant headlines.

Long before the Village People took to the stage with YMCA, observers were picking the bones out of a opening round featuring a clash between two of the world's best forwards and a playoff bracket promising a truly mouthwatering encounter between legends of the game.

The Draw That Felt Like It Would Go On Forever

Many people tuned in eager to discover their team's initial fixtures. But, even though fans are accustomed to these draws being lengthy, this was extraordinary.

Following performances by a pop star and a former Pussycat Doll, addresses from political leaders and football's governing body, plus countless video packages and interviews, it eventually appeared to begin nearly an hour later. Or so we thought.

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

On to the Football Itself...

The upcoming tournament will be the largest in the competition's history, with a record 48 teams and a new round of 32. However, this expansion has perhaps led to the group stage being somewhat weakened in quality.

There are very few fixtures between the traditional powerhouses. England's match with their 2018 semi-final opponents is the biggest theoretically. That is the only group fixture featuring two teams ranked in the top 10.

Brazil versus Morocco is the next best. The Dutch have the toughest group by official standings, while Die Mannschaft—grouped with Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the easiest on paper. But, interesting matches still await.

Two Prolific Scorers Go Head-to-Head

Phenomenal striker Erling Haaland will get a crack at his major international competition in the upcoming finals. The Manchester City forward scored 16 times in qualifying matches to single-handedly carry his country to their initial berth since 1998.

Hardly any have managed to come close to the youngster's ridiculous scoring records—but someone who has is set to face him in the last match of the group stage. Along with Senegal, Norway have been drawn against Kylian Mbappe's France.

This means the leading scorers in the Premier League and La Liga will clash for the first time in on the global stage. Expect net-bulgers. Lots of goals.

A Familiar Foe

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

Another eye-catching fixture will see the French again come up against the Senegalese, who shocked the reigning title-holders back in 2002. On that first day, a future Fulham midfielder outshone France's galaxy of stars to score the decisive goal.

Dream Ties for the Debutants

Four new nations have benefited from the larger 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 least populous country to ever play at a World Cup, will meet four-time winners Die Mannschaft. The island nation, with a resident count of around 600,000, will face European champions and 2010 World Cup winners La Roja.

Jordan, after 40 years of trying, will face defending champions Argentina and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be guided by a former champion against Cristiano Ronaldo's Selecao das Quinas.

What About the Knockout Stage?

Assuming all the favorites progress from their groups, we shouldn't have to wait for the big hitters to collide. The round of 32 is where things could get extremely interesting, most notably with a potential tie between past winners Germany and France.

On the other side of the draw, eyes will be drawn to the last eight, where historic adversaries Messi and Ronaldo are lined up for a possible clash. It would require both Argentina and Ronaldo's side finishing top and navigating the early knockout rounds.

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