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Next summer's global tournament is at last beginning to seem tangible. While fans are now able to begin marking their calendars, the recent ceremony in Washington DC was not short of significant headlines.

Well before the Village People took to the stage with their classic hit, observers were analyzing a group stage featuring a showdown between two of the world's best forwards and a playoff bracket that could produce a truly mouthwatering encounter between legends of the game.

The Ceremony That Felt Like It May Never End

Many people tuned in eager to discover their national side's initial fixtures. However, even though supporters are accustomed to such ceremonies taking some time, this one set a new standard.

Following acts by Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger, speeches from political leaders and Fifa officials, plus numerous video packages and interviews, it eventually appeared to get going almost 60 minutes later. Or so we thought.

Cue more interviews and performances, before the actual draw eventually began nearly an hour and a half after the star-studded show initially started. The selection then required almost an hour to complete.

Moving On to the Football Itself...

Next summer's World Cup 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 maybe resulted in the initial phase being somewhat weakened in overall strength.

There are very few matches between the major nations. England's game against Croatia is the most significant theoretically. That is the only group fixture with two teams ranked in the top 10.

Brazil versus The Atlas Lions is the second most intriguing. The Netherlands have the toughest group by Fifa world rankings, while Germany—drawn against Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the weakest. But, compelling contests remain.

A Pair of Goal Machines Go Head-to-Head

Generational goalgetter Erling Haaland will get a crack at his major international competition next summer. The Manchester City forward scored 16 times in qualifying matches to single-handedly carry his country to their initial berth since 1998.

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

This means the top marksmen in the Premier League and La Liga will go head-to-head for the initial occasion in international football. Expect net-bulgers. Lots of goals.

A Familiar Foe

Mexico will face Bafana Bafana in the first game—repeating history. The sides also opened the 2010 edition. That match, which finished 1-1, is most famous for a rasping goal.

Another eye-catching fixture will see the French again come up against the Senegalese, who shocked the reigning title-holders back in 2002. On that first day, a future Fulham midfielder outshone France's galaxy of stars 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 occasion. However, awaiting them are former world champions, European champions and Copa America winners.

In one group, the tiny Caribbean island, 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 European champions and 2010 World Cup winners Spain.

The Middle Eastern side, after decades of trying, meets defending champions La Albiceleste and the legendary forward. Meanwhile, The Central Asian team will be led by a former champion against the Portuguese icon's Portugal.

What About the Playoff Rounds?

Assuming all the favorites make it safely through their groups, fans may not wait long 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 the French.

On the opposite half of the draw, eyes will be drawn to the quarter-final stage, where historic adversaries Messi and Ronaldo are lined up for a potential showdown. It would require both Messi's team and Portugal finishing top and squeezing through the initial playoffs.

Regarding the Three Lions, a match with co-hosts Mexico seems the probable first knockout game. Should the Scots progress, Samurai Blue or the Netherlands could be waiting in what would be their first ever World Cup playoff match.