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The upcoming global tournament is finally starting to feel tangible. While supporters are now able to begin planning their schedules, the recent ceremony in Washington DC was not short of significant headlines.

Well before the iconic group took to the stage with YMCA, we were left picking the bones out of a group stage that includes a clash between football's top forwards and a playoff bracket promising a highly anticipated encounter between two greats of the game.

The Ceremony That Seemed Like It May Never End

Numerous viewers tuned in keen to discover their national side's group stage fixtures. But, despite the fact supporters are used to these draws being lengthy, this one set a new standard.

Following performances by Robbie Williams and a former Pussycat Doll, addresses from dignitaries and football's governing body, plus numerous montages and interviews, it finally seemed to begin almost 60 minutes later. Or so we thought.

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

On to the Actual Football...

Next summer's tournament will be the biggest in the competition's history, with a record 48 teams and a first-ever additional knockout round. Yet, this increase in size has perhaps led to the group stage being slightly diluted in quality.

There are very few matches between the traditional powerhouses. The Three Lions' game against their 2018 semi-final opponents is the biggest theoretically. That is the sole opening-round game featuring two teams inside the world's elite.

The Selecao versus Morocco is the next best. The Netherlands have the most difficult draw by official standings, while Germany—grouped with Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the weakest. But, interesting matches remain.

Two Goal Machines Face Off

Generational goalgetter Erling Haaland will make his debut in his first major tournament next summer. The Premier League striker netted 16 goals in qualifying matches to drag his country to their initial berth since 1998.

Hardly any have been able to come close to the 25-year-old's ridiculous scoring records—except for one player is set to face him in the final round of the group stage. Along with Senegal, The Nordic side have been drawn against Kylian Mbappe's Les Bleus.

This means the top marksmen in the English top flight and Spain's division will go head-to-head for the first time in on the global stage. Expect goals. Lots of goals.

A Familiar Foe

El Tri will take on South Africa in the opening match—and not for the first time. The sides also opened the 2010 edition. That match, ending 1-1, is best remembered for a thunderous goal.

Another eye-catching fixture will see France again come up against Senegal, who shocked the then-world champions back in the 2002 World Cup. On that first day, a then-unknown player 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 tournament for the first time. But, standing in their way are former world champions, European champions and South American champions.

In one group, Curacao, the least populous country to ever feature in a World Cup, will meet four-time winners Germany. The island nation, with a resident count of around 600,000, will face Euro winners and former champions La Roja.

The Middle Eastern side, after decades of trying, meets defending champions Argentina and the legendary forward. Meanwhile, The Central Asian team will be led by a 2006 World Cup winner against Cristiano Ronaldo's Selecao das Quinas.

And Then Comes the Playoff Rounds?

If all the favorites 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 extremely interesting, most notably with a possible matchup between past winners Germany and the French.

On the other side of the bracket, eyes will be drawn to the last eight, where historic adversaries Messi and the Portuguese are set for a possible showdown. It would require both Messi's team and Ronaldo's side finishing top and navigating the initial playoffs.

Regarding the Three Lions, a match with co-hosts Mexico seems the probable last-32 tie. Should the Scots progress, Japan or the Netherlands could be waiting in what would be their first ever World Cup knockout fixture.