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Next summer's global tournament is at last beginning to seem tangible. Although fans are now able to begin marking their calendars, Friday's ceremony in the US capital was full of significant headlines.

Long before the iconic group took to the stage with their classic hit, observers were analyzing a group stage featuring a clash between football's top strikers and a knockout stage that could produce a truly mouthwatering encounter between legends of the sport.

The Ceremony That Seemed Like It Would Go On Forever

Many people logged on keen to discover their national side's initial fixtures. But, despite the fact supporters are accustomed to these draws being lengthy, this one set a new standard.

Following performances by a pop star and Nicole Scherzinger, addresses from political leaders and Fifa officials, plus numerous montages and discussions, it eventually appeared to begin almost 60 minutes later. Or so we thought.

Cue further commentary and entertainment, before the actual draw eventually began 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 World Cup will be the biggest in history, with a unprecedented number of nations 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 hardly any fixtures between the major nations. The Three Lions' match with Croatia is the biggest theoretically. That is the sole opening-round game with two teams ranked in the top 10.

The Selecao versus Morocco is the next best. The Netherlands have the toughest group by official standings, while Die Mannschaft—grouped with Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the weakest. Nevertheless, interesting matches still await.

Two Goal Machines Face Off

Phenomenal striker Norway's star will get a crack at his first major tournament next summer. The Manchester City forward netted 16 goals in qualifying matches to single-handedly carry his nation to their initial berth since 1998.

Few have managed to come close to the 25-year-old's incredible goalscoring feats—except for one player is set to face him in the last match of the group stage. 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 initial occasion in international football. Expect net-bulgers. Lots of goals.

A Familiar Foe

El Tri will take on Bafana Bafana in the opening match—and not for the first time. The sides also kicked off the tournament in South Africa. That game, ending 1-1, is most famous for a rasping goal.

Another eye-catching group game will see France once more face Senegal, who stunned the then-world champions back in 2002. On that opening night, a then-unknown player upstaged France's cast of star names to score the decisive goal.

Dream Ties for the Debutants

Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Jordan and Curacao have benefited from the larger World Cup to reach the finals for the first occasion. 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 Die Mannschaft. The island nation, with a resident count of around 600,000, will face European champions and 2010 World Cup winners La Roja.

The Middle Eastern side, after decades of trying, meets title-holders Argentina and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, The Central Asian team will be guided by a former champion against Cristiano Ronaldo's Selecao das Quinas.

What About the Knockout Stage?

Assuming all the top teams make it safely through their groups, fans may not wait long for the big hitters to collide. The last 16 is where things could get really tasty, most notably with a potential tie between past winners the Germans and the French.

On the opposite half of the bracket, eyes will be drawn to the last eight, where historic adversaries the Argentine and Ronaldo are lined up for a potential showdown. It would depend on both Messi's team and Portugal finishing top and navigating the early knockout rounds.

Regarding the Three Lions, a match with tournament hosts seems the probable first knockout game. And, if the Scots progress, Samurai Blue or the Dutch could await in what would be their first ever World Cup playoff match.