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The upcoming global tournament is finally beginning to seem tangible. Although fans are now able to begin marking their calendars, the recent ceremony in Washington DC was full of significant headlines.

Long before the Village People performed with YMCA, observers were analyzing a group stage featuring a clash between two of the world's best forwards and a playoff bracket that could produce a highly anticipated meeting between two greats of the game.

The Draw That Seemed Like It Would Go On Forever

Many people tuned in eager to find out their team's group stage opponents. However, despite the fact supporters are accustomed to such ceremonies being lengthy, this one set a new standard.

Following acts by a pop star and a former Pussycat Doll, speeches from political leaders and football's governing body, plus countless video packages and interviews, it eventually appeared to begin nearly an hour later. Or so we thought.

Cue more interviews and performances, before the actual draw eventually began nearly an hour and a half after the star-studded show first kicked off. 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 unprecedented number of nations and a new round of 32. However, this increase in size has maybe resulted in the group stage being slightly diluted in quality.

There are very few matches between the traditional powerhouses. England's game against their 2018 semi-final opponents is the biggest on paper. 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 Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the easiest on paper. Nevertheless, interesting matches still await.

A Pair of Prolific Scorers Go Head-to-Head

Phenomenal striker Norway's star will make his debut in his first major tournament in the upcoming finals. The Manchester City forward scored 16 times in eight matches to single-handedly carry his country to their initial berth since 1998.

Hardly any have managed to come close to the 25-year-old's ridiculous scoring records—but someone who has is set to face him in the last match of the group stage. Along with The Lions of Teranga, Norway have been drawn against the French superstar's Les Bleus.

This means the top marksmen in the English top flight and La Liga will clash for the first time in on the global stage. Anticipate goals. Plenty of scoring.

A Familiar Foe

Mexico will face South Africa in the opening match—repeating history. The two teams also kicked off the 2010 edition. That game, ending 1-1, is best remembered for a thunderous goal.

Another eye-catching fixture will see France once more face the Senegalese, who shocked the then-world champions back in 2002. On that first day, a future Fulham midfielder upstaged France's galaxy of stars to score the winning 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, awaiting them 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 resident count of around 600,000, will face Euro winners and former champions La Roja.

The Middle Eastern side, after 40 years of trying, meets title-holders Argentina and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, The Central Asian team will be guided by a 2006 World Cup winner against the Portuguese icon's Selecao das Quinas.

And Then Comes the Knockout Stage?

If all the top teams progress from their groups, we shouldn't have to wait for the heavyweights to collide. The last 16 is where things could get extremely interesting, most notably with a potential tie between past winners Germany and France.

On the opposite half of the draw, eyes will be drawn to the quarter-final stage, where old rivals the Argentine and Ronaldo are lined up for a potential clash. It would depend on both Argentina and Portugal winning their groups and squeezing through the early knockout rounds.

Regarding the Three Lions, a match with tournament hosts seems the probable last-32 tie. Should Scotland progress, Samurai Blue or the Netherlands could be waiting in what would be their first ever World Cup knockout fixture.