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The upcoming global tournament is at last starting to feel tangible. While fans can finally start marking their calendars, Friday's draw in Washington DC was not short of significant headlines.

Long before the iconic group took to the stage with YMCA, observers were picking the bones out of a opening round featuring a showdown between football's top forwards and a knockout stage promising a truly mouthwatering encounter between legends of the game.

The Draw That Felt Like It May Never End

Numerous viewers logged on eager to discover their national side's initial opponents. But, even though supporters are accustomed to such ceremonies taking some time, this was extraordinary.

Following performances by Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger, speeches from political leaders and Fifa officials, plus numerous video packages and interviews, it finally seemed to begin nearly an hour later. That was an illusion.

Cue further commentary and entertainment, before the real selection process eventually began nearly an hour and a half after the glitzy event initially started. The draw itself then took 59 minutes to complete.

On to the Actual Football...

The upcoming tournament will be the largest in history, with a record 48 teams and a first-ever additional knockout round. Yet, this increase in size has perhaps led to the initial phase being slightly diluted in quality.

There are hardly any matches between the major nations. England's match with 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 The Atlas Lions is the second most intriguing. The Netherlands 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 Goal Machines Go Head-to-Head

Generational goalgetter Erling Haaland will get a crack at his first major tournament next summer. The Premier League striker netted 16 goals in qualifying matches to drag his nation to their first appearance since 1998.

Few have managed 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 the group stage. Together 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 clash for the initial occasion in international football. Anticipate net-bulgers. Lots of goals.

A Familiar Foe

El Tri will take on Bafana Bafana in the opening match—repeating history. The two teams also kicked off the 2010 edition. That match, ending 1-1, is best remembered for a thunderous goal.

Another notable group game will see France once more face the Senegalese, who stunned the then-world champions back in the 2002 World Cup. On that first day, a then-unknown player upstaged France's galaxy of stars to score the winning goal.

Dream Ties for the First-Timers

Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Jordan and Curacao have taken advantage of the expanded World Cup to reach the tournament for the first occasion. But, awaiting them 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 take on four-time winners Die Mannschaft. Cape Verde, with a resident count of around 600,000, will face European champions and 2010 World Cup winners La Roja.

Jordan, after decades of trying, meets title-holders Argentina and the legendary forward. Meanwhile, The Central Asian team will be guided by a former champion against Cristiano Ronaldo's Selecao das Quinas.

And Then Comes the Knockout Stage?

If all the top teams progress from their groups, fans may not wait long for the heavyweights to collide. The last 16 is where things could get extremely interesting, most notably with a possible matchup between former champions the Germans and France.

On the other side of the draw, eyes will be fixed on the last eight, where old rivals the Argentine and Ronaldo are set for a potential clash. It would require both Argentina and Ronaldo's side finishing top and squeezing through the early knockout rounds.

For England, a match with co-hosts Mexico seems the probable last-32 tie. And, if the Scots are able to get through, Samurai Blue or the Netherlands could be waiting in what would be their historic World Cup knockout fixture.