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Next summer's World Cup is finally starting to feel very real. While supporters can finally start marking their calendars, Friday's draw in the US capital was full of major talking points.

Long before the Village People took to the stage with YMCA, we were left picking the bones out of a opening round featuring a clash between football's top forwards and a playoff bracket promising a highly anticipated encounter between two greats of the sport.

The Ceremony That Felt Like It May Never End

Many people tuned in keen to find out their national side's group stage opponents. However, even though supporters are accustomed to these draws being lengthy, this one set a new standard.

Following performances by a pop star and a former Pussycat Doll, addresses from political leaders and Fifa officials, plus countless montages and interviews, it eventually appeared to begin nearly an hour later. That was an illusion.

This led to further commentary and entertainment, before the real selection process finally commenced around 90 minutes after the star-studded show initially started. The selection then required almost an hour to finish.

On to the Football Itself...

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. However, this increase in size has perhaps led to the group stage being somewhat weakened in quality.

There are hardly any matches between the major nations. The Three Lions' match with Croatia is the biggest on paper. That is the sole opening-round game featuring two teams ranked in the top 10.

Brazil versus The Atlas Lions is the next best. The Dutch have the toughest group by Fifa world rankings, while Die Mannschaft—drawn against less-fancied opponents—have the easiest on paper. But, compelling contests remain.

Two Goal Machines Go Head-to-Head

Generational goalgetter Norway's star will get a crack at his major international competition next summer. The Premier League forward scored 16 times 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 incredible goalscoring feats—except for one player is scheduled to come up against him in the last match of group games. Together with The Lions of Teranga, Norway have been paired with Kylian Mbappe's Les Bleus.

This means the leading scorers in the English top flight and Spain's division will go head-to-head for the first time in international football. Expect goals. Lots of goals.

A Familiar Foe

Mexico will take on Bafana Bafana in the opening match—and not for the first time. The two teams also opened the tournament in South Africa. That match, ending 1-1, is best remembered for a thunderous second-half strike.

Another eye-catching fixture will see France once more face Senegal, who shocked the reigning title-holders back in 2002. On that first day, a then-unknown player upstaged France's cast of star names to score the winning goal.

Fantasy Fixtures for the First-Timers

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 former world champions, continental title-holders and Copa America winners.

In one group, Curacao, the least populous country to ever feature in a World Cup, will take on multiple winners Die Mannschaft. Cape Verde, with a resident count of around half a million, will face Euro winners and 2010 World Cup winners Spain.

The Middle Eastern side, after 40 years of trying, will face defending champions Argentina and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be led by a 2006 World Cup winner against the Portuguese icon's Selecao das Quinas.

What About the Playoff Rounds?

If all the top teams progress from their groups, fans may not wait long for the heavyweights to meet. The last 16 is where things could get really tasty, most notably with a potential tie between past winners Germany and France.

On the other side of the bracket, eyes will be drawn to the quarter-final stage, where old rivals Messi and Ronaldo are lined up for a possible clash. It would require both Argentina and Portugal finishing top and navigating the initial playoffs.

For England, a match with tournament hosts seems the probable last-32 tie. And, if Scotland are able to get through, Japan or the Netherlands could await in what would be their historic World Cup knockout fixture.