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The upcoming global tournament is finally beginning to seem tangible. Although fans are now able to begin planning their schedules, Friday's ceremony in the US capital was not short of significant headlines.

Long before the Village People performed with YMCA, observers were picking the bones out of a group stage featuring a clash between two of the world's best strikers and a knockout stage promising a highly anticipated meeting between legends of the sport.

The Draw That Seemed Like It Would Go On Forever

Many people tuned in keen to find out their team's initial opponents. But, despite the fact fans are used to such ceremonies being lengthy, this one set a new standard.

Following acts by a pop star and Nicole Scherzinger, addresses from dignitaries and football's governing body, plus countless montages and discussions, it finally seemed to begin almost 60 minutes later. That was an illusion.

Cue further commentary and performances, before the actual draw eventually began nearly an hour and a half after the glitzy event first kicked off. The selection then took 59 minutes to finish.

On to the Actual Football...

Next summer's World Cup will be the biggest 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 somewhat weakened in quality.

There are very few matches between the major nations. The Three Lions' match with Croatia is the biggest on paper. That is the only group fixture with two teams inside the world's elite.

Brazil versus The Atlas Lions is the second most intriguing. The Dutch have the toughest group by official standings, while Germany—grouped with less-fancied opponents—have the weakest. But, interesting matches still await.

Two Goal Machines Go Head-to-Head

Generational goalgetter Erling Haaland will make his debut in his major international competition in the upcoming finals. The Premier League forward netted 16 goals in qualifying matches to drag his country to their first appearance since 1998.

Hardly any have been able to rival the 25-year-old's incredible scoring records—except for one player is set to face 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 English top flight and La Liga will go head-to-head for the first time in international football. Expect goals. Lots of goals.

We Meet Again

El Tri will face South Africa in the opening match—and not for the first time. The two teams also kicked off the 2010 edition. That match, ending 1-1, is most famous for a thunderous second-half strike.

Another eye-catching fixture will see France once more face Senegal, who shocked the reigning title-holders back in 2002. On that first day, a future Fulham midfielder outshone France's cast of star names to score the winning goal.

Dream Ties for the First-Timers

Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Jordan and Curacao have benefited from the larger World Cup to qualify for the tournament for the first occasion. However, awaiting them 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 multiple winners Germany. Cape Verde, with a population of around 600,000, will face Euro winners 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 guided by a former champion against the Portuguese icon's Portugal.

And Then Comes the Knockout Stage?

If all the top teams progress from their groups, fans may not wait long for the big hitters 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 opposite half of the draw, eyes will be fixed on the quarter-final stage, where historic adversaries Messi and the Portuguese are lined up for a potential showdown. It would require both Argentina and Portugal winning their groups and navigating the early knockout rounds.

For England, a game against tournament hosts seems the probable first knockout game. Should Scotland are able to get through, Samurai Blue or the Dutch could await in what would be their first ever World Cup playoff match.