Haaland vs Mbappe, Dream Match-ups and YMCA: The Highlights from the World Cup Draw

The upcoming World Cup is at last beginning to seem very real. While fans are now able to begin marking their calendars, Friday's ceremony in Washington DC was not short of significant headlines.

Well before the Village People took to the stage with YMCA, we were left analyzing a group stage featuring a showdown between two of the world's best forwards and a knockout stage that could produce a highly anticipated meeting between two greats of the sport.

The Ceremony That Seemed Like It Would Go On Forever

Numerous viewers logged on eager to find out their national side's initial opponents. But, even though supporters are accustomed to these draws taking some time, this was extraordinary.

Following acts by Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger, speeches from dignitaries and Fifa officials, plus countless montages and discussions, it finally seemed to get going almost 60 minutes later. Or so we thought.

Cue more interviews and performances, before the actual draw eventually began around 90 minutes after the glitzy event initially started. The selection then took 59 minutes to finish.

Moving On to the Football Itself...

The upcoming tournament will be the largest in history, with a record 48 teams and a new round of 32. Yet, this expansion has maybe resulted in the initial phase being somewhat weakened in overall strength.

There are very few fixtures between the major nations. England's match with Croatia is the most significant on paper. That is the sole opening-round game featuring two teams ranked in the top 10.

Brazil versus The Atlas Lions is the next best. The Dutch have the most difficult draw by Fifa world rankings, while Germany—drawn against less-fancied opponents—have the weakest. Nevertheless, interesting matches still await.

A Pair of Prolific Scorers Face Off

Generational goalgetter Erling Haaland will get a crack at his first major tournament in the upcoming finals. The Premier League striker scored 16 times in qualifying matches to drag his nation to their initial berth since 1998.

Hardly any have been able to come close to the youngster's incredible goalscoring feats—except for one player is scheduled to come up against him in the final round of the group stage. Along with Senegal, The Nordic side have been drawn against the French superstar's Les Bleus.

This means the leading scorers in the Premier League and Spain's division will go head-to-head for the initial occasion in international football. Expect goals. Plenty of scoring.

A Familiar Foe

Mexico will take on South Africa in the first game—and not for the first time. The two teams also kicked off the 2010 edition. That game, which finished 1-1, is best remembered for a rasping second-half strike.

Another eye-catching fixture will see the French again come up against the Senegalese, who stunned the reigning title-holders back in the 2002 World Cup. On that opening night, a then-unknown player outshone France's galaxy of stars to score the decisive 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. But, standing in their way are former world champions, European champions and South American champions.

In one group, the tiny Caribbean island, the smallest nation to ever feature in a World Cup, will meet four-time winners Germany. Cape Verde, with a population of around 600,000, will face European champions and former champions Spain.

The Middle Eastern side, after decades of trying, meets title-holders Argentina and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, The Central Asian team will be led by a former champion against the Portuguese icon's Portugal.

And Then Comes the Playoff Rounds?

Assuming all the favorites progress from their groups, fans may not wait long for the heavyweights to collide. The round of 32 is where things could get extremely interesting, most notably with a potential tie between past winners the Germans and the French.

On the other side of the bracket, eyes will be drawn to the last eight, where old rivals Messi and Ronaldo are set for a potential clash. It would depend on both Argentina and Ronaldo's side 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 Scotland progress, Samurai Blue or the Netherlands could await in what would be their historic World Cup playoff match.