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Next summer's global tournament is finally starting to feel tangible. While supporters can finally start marking their calendars, the recent draw in the US capital was not short of major talking points.

Well before the Village People took to the stage with YMCA, observers were picking the bones out of a opening round featuring a showdown between two of the world's best strikers and a playoff bracket promising a truly mouthwatering encounter between legends of the sport.

The Draw That Seemed Like It May Never End

Many people tuned in keen to discover their national side's group stage fixtures. But, despite the fact supporters are used to such ceremonies taking some time, this was extraordinary.

Following acts by Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger, speeches from political leaders and football's governing body, plus countless video packages and discussions, it finally seemed to begin nearly an hour later. Or so we thought.

Cue further commentary and performances, before the actual draw finally commenced nearly an hour and a half after the star-studded show first kicked off. The draw itself then took 59 minutes to complete.

Moving On to the Football Itself...

Next summer's World Cup will be the largest in the competition's history, with a unprecedented number of nations and a new round of 32. However, this increase in size has maybe resulted in the initial phase being slightly diluted in quality.

There are very few matches between the major nations. The Three Lions' match with their 2018 semi-final opponents is the most significant 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 Dutch have the most difficult draw by official standings, while Die Mannschaft—drawn against less-fancied opponents—have the easiest on paper. But, interesting matches still await.

Two Goal Machines Face Off

Phenomenal striker Norway's star will make his debut in his major international competition next summer. The Premier League striker scored 16 times in qualifying matches to drag his country to their initial berth since 1998.

Few have been able to come close to the 25-year-old's ridiculous scoring records—except for one player is scheduled to come up against him in the last match of the group stage. Along with Senegal, Norway have been drawn against Kylian Mbappe's France.

This means the top marksmen in the Premier League and La Liga will go head-to-head for the initial occasion in on the global stage. Anticipate goals. Lots of goals.

A Familiar Foe

El Tri will take on Bafana Bafana in the first game—and not for the first time. The sides also kicked off the 2010 edition. That game, ending 1-1, is best remembered for a thunderous second-half strike.

Another eye-catching group game will see the French again come up against the Senegalese, who stunned the then-world champions back in the 2002 World Cup. On that opening night, a future Fulham midfielder outshone France's cast of star names to score the decisive goal.

Dream Ties for the Debutants

Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Jordan and Curacao have taken advantage of the expanded World Cup to reach the tournament for the first time. But, standing in their way are past winners, continental title-holders and South American champions.

In one group, the tiny Caribbean island, the least populous country to ever play at a World Cup, will take on multiple winners Germany. The island nation, with a population of around 600,000, will face European champions and former champions Spain.

Jordan, after 40 years of trying, will face title-holders Argentina and the legendary forward. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be led by a former champion against the Portuguese icon's Portugal.

And Then Comes the Knockout Stage?

Assuming 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 extremely interesting, most notably with a possible matchup between former champions Germany and France.

On the other side of the bracket, eyes will be drawn to the last eight, where old rivals Messi and the Portuguese are set for a possible clash. It would require both Argentina and Ronaldo's side winning their groups and squeezing through the early knockout rounds.

Regarding the Three Lions, a game against co-hosts Mexico seems the probable last-32 tie. And, if Scotland are able to get through, Japan or the Dutch could await in what would be their historic World Cup knockout fixture.