Mbappe vs Haaland, Dream Match-ups and The Village People: The Highlights from the FIFA Draw Ceremony

The upcoming global tournament is at last beginning to seem very real. Although fans are now able to begin planning their schedules, Friday's draw in Washington DC was not short of major talking points.

Long before the Village People took to the stage with YMCA, observers were picking the bones out of a group stage featuring a showdown between football's top forwards and a knockout stage that could produce a truly mouthwatering encounter between two greats of the sport.

The Draw That Seemed Like It May Never End

Numerous viewers logged on keen to discover their national side's initial opponents. However, even though fans are used to these draws being lengthy, this was extraordinary.

Following performances by a pop star and Nicole Scherzinger, addresses from dignitaries and Fifa officials, plus numerous video packages and interviews, it finally seemed to get going nearly an hour later. That was an illusion.

This led to further commentary and entertainment, before the actual draw finally commenced nearly an hour and a half after the star-studded show first kicked off. The selection then required almost an hour to complete.

On to the Actual Football...

The upcoming World Cup will be the largest in the competition's history, with a record 48 teams and a new round of 32. Yet, this increase in size has maybe resulted in the initial phase being somewhat weakened in overall strength.

There are hardly any matches between the major nations. The Three Lions' game against their 2018 semi-final opponents is the most significant theoretically. That is the only group fixture 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 official standings, while Die Mannschaft—grouped with Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the easiest on paper. Nevertheless, compelling contests still await.

Two Goal Machines Go Head-to-Head

Generational goalgetter Erling Haaland will get a crack at his first major tournament in the upcoming finals. The Premier League forward scored 16 times in qualifying matches to single-handedly carry his nation to their first appearance since 1998.

Hardly any have managed to rival the 25-year-old's incredible scoring records—except for one player is set to come up against him in the last match of group games. Along with Senegal, The Nordic side have been paired with the French superstar's Les Bleus.

This means the top marksmen in the English top flight and Spain's division will clash for the first time in on the global stage. Anticipate net-bulgers. Plenty of scoring.

A Familiar Foe

Mexico will face South Africa in the opening match—and not for the first time. The two teams also kicked off the tournament in South Africa. That game, ending 1-1, is most famous for a thunderous second-half strike.

Another notable group game will see the French once more face the Senegalese, who shocked the reigning title-holders back in the 2002 World Cup. On that first day, a then-unknown player outshone France's galaxy of stars to score the winning goal.

Dream Ties for the Debutants

Four new nations have taken advantage of the larger World Cup to qualify for the tournament for the first time. However, awaiting them are former world champions, European champions and Copa America winners.

In one group, Curacao, the least populous country to ever play at a World Cup, will take on four-time winners Germany. The island nation, with a resident count of around 600,000, will face Euro winners and 2010 World Cup winners Spain.

The Middle Eastern side, after decades of trying, meets defending champions Argentina and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be guided by a former champion against Cristiano Ronaldo's Selecao das Quinas.

And Then Comes the Playoff Rounds?

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

On the opposite half of the bracket, eyes will be drawn to the quarter-final stage, where old rivals Messi and the Portuguese are set for a potential showdown. It would depend on both Argentina and Portugal winning their groups and squeezing through the initial playoffs.

For England, a match with tournament hosts seems the most likely first knockout game. And, if Scotland progress, Samurai Blue or the Dutch could be waiting in what would be their historic World Cup knockout fixture.