Mbappe vs Haaland, Fantasy Fixtures and The Village People: The Highlights from the FIFA Draw Ceremony

Next summer's World Cup is finally beginning to seem tangible. While fans can finally start marking their calendars, Friday's ceremony in Washington DC was full of major talking points.

Well before the iconic group took to the stage with YMCA, observers were analyzing a group stage featuring a showdown between football's top forwards and a knockout stage that could produce a highly anticipated encounter between two greats of the game.

The Draw That Felt Like It Would Go On Forever

Numerous viewers tuned in keen to find out their national side's initial opponents. But, even though fans are used to these draws taking some time, this one set a new standard.

After performances by Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger, addresses from political leaders and football's governing body, plus countless montages and discussions, it eventually appeared to begin nearly an hour later. That was an illusion.

Cue further commentary and entertainment, before the actual draw finally commenced nearly an hour and a half after the star-studded show initially started. The selection then required almost an hour to complete.

On to the Actual Football...

Next summer's tournament will be the biggest in the competition's history, with a record 48 teams and a new round of 32. However, this increase in size has perhaps led to the initial phase being somewhat weakened in quality.

There are very few fixtures between the traditional powerhouses. England's match with Croatia is the biggest theoretically. That is the sole opening-round game featuring two teams ranked in the top 10.

Brazil versus Morocco is the next best. The Netherlands have the toughest group by Fifa world rankings, while Die Mannschaft—grouped with less-fancied opponents—have the weakest. But, interesting matches remain.

A Pair of Prolific Scorers Go Head-to-Head

Generational goalgetter Erling Haaland will make his debut in his major international competition in the upcoming finals. The Premier League striker scored 16 times in qualifying matches to drag his nation to their first appearance since 1998.

Hardly any have managed to rival the youngster's incredible goalscoring feats—except for one player is set to come up against him in the last match of group games. Together with Senegal, The Nordic side have been drawn against the French superstar's France.

This means the top marksmen in the Premier League and Spain's division will go head-to-head for the first time in international football. Anticipate goals. Lots of goals.

A Familiar Foe

El Tri will take on Bafana Bafana in the opening match—repeating history. The sides also opened the 2010 edition. That game, which finished 1-1, is most famous for a rasping goal.

Another eye-catching group game will see the French once more face Senegal, who shocked the reigning title-holders back in 2002. On that first day, a then-unknown player outshone France's cast of star names to score the decisive goal.

Fantasy Fixtures for the First-Timers

Four new nations have taken advantage of the larger World Cup to reach the finals for the first occasion. But, standing in their way are past winners, continental title-holders and South American champions.

In one group, Curacao, the smallest nation to ever feature in a World Cup, will take on four-time winners Die Mannschaft. The island nation, with a population of around half a million, will face Euro winners and former champions La Roja.

The Middle Eastern side, after 40 years of trying, meets title-holders La Albiceleste and the legendary forward. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be guided by a 2006 World Cup winner against Cristiano Ronaldo's Selecao das Quinas.

What About the Knockout Stage?

If all the top teams 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 really tasty, most notably with a possible matchup between former champions Germany and the French.

On the other side of the bracket, eyes will be drawn to the quarter-final stage, where old rivals the Argentine and the Portuguese are lined up for a possible clash. It would depend on both Messi's team and Portugal winning their groups and navigating the initial playoffs.

For England, a match with co-hosts Mexico seems the most likely last-32 tie. Should Scotland are able to get through, Japan or the Netherlands could await in what would be their first ever World Cup knockout fixture.