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The upcoming global tournament is finally starting to feel very real. Although fans are now able to begin planning their schedules, the recent ceremony in Washington DC was full of major talking points.

Well before the iconic group performed with YMCA, we were left picking the bones out of a opening round that includes a clash between two of the world's best forwards and a playoff bracket promising a truly mouthwatering meeting between legends of the game.

The Draw That Seemed Like It Would Go On Forever

Numerous viewers logged on keen to find out their team's group stage opponents. However, even though supporters are accustomed to these draws taking some time, this was extraordinary.

Following performances by Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger, addresses from dignitaries and Fifa officials, plus countless montages and interviews, it finally seemed to begin almost 60 minutes 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 selection then required almost an hour to complete.

Moving On to the Actual Football...

Next summer's tournament will be the largest in history, with a record 48 teams 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' game against Croatia is the most significant theoretically. That is the sole opening-round game featuring two teams ranked in the top 10.

The Selecao versus The Atlas Lions is the second most intriguing. The Dutch have the most difficult draw by official standings, while Germany—grouped with less-fancied opponents—have the easiest on paper. But, interesting matches remain.

A Pair of Prolific Scorers Go Head-to-Head

Phenomenal striker Erling Haaland will make his debut in his first major tournament in the upcoming finals. The Manchester City forward scored 16 times in eight matches to drag his nation to their initial berth since 1998.

Hardly any have been able to come close to the 25-year-old's ridiculous goalscoring feats—but someone who has is scheduled to come up against him in the last match of the group stage. Along with The Lions of Teranga, Norway have been drawn against Kylian Mbappe's Les Bleus.

This means the top marksmen in the Premier League and La Liga will clash for the first time in on the global stage. Expect goals. Lots of goals.

We Meet Again

El Tri will face South Africa in the first game—and not for the first time. The sides also opened the tournament in South Africa. That game, which finished 1-1, is best remembered for a thunderous second-half strike.

Another eye-catching group game will see the French once more face the Senegalese, who shocked the then-world champions back in 2002. On that first day, a then-unknown player upstaged France's galaxy of stars to score the decisive goal.

Fantasy Fixtures for the First-Timers

Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Jordan and Curacao have benefited from the expanded World Cup to reach the finals for the first time. However, standing in their way are past winners, continental title-holders and Copa America winners.

In one group, Curacao, the smallest nation to ever play at a World Cup, will take on four-time winners Die Mannschaft. Cape Verde, with a resident count of around half a million, will face Euro winners and 2010 World Cup winners Spain.

Jordan, after 40 years of trying, will face defending champions La Albiceleste and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, The Central Asian team will be guided by a 2006 World Cup winner against the Portuguese icon's Portugal.

What About the Playoff Rounds?

If all the top teams make it safely through their groups, fans may not wait long for the heavyweights to collide. The last 16 is where things could get really tasty, most notably with a potential tie between past winners the Germans and the French.

On the opposite half of the bracket, eyes will be fixed on the quarter-final stage, where historic adversaries the Argentine and Ronaldo are lined up for a potential showdown. It would depend on both Argentina and Ronaldo's side finishing top and squeezing through the initial playoffs.

Regarding the Three Lions, a match with co-hosts Mexico seems the most likely first knockout game. Should the Scots are able to get through, Japan or the Dutch could await in what would be their first ever World Cup playoff match.