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

Next summer's World Cup is at last beginning to seem very real. Although fans are now able to begin marking their calendars, Friday's ceremony in the US capital was not short of major talking points.

Long before the Village People took to the stage with YMCA, observers were picking the bones out of a opening round featuring a showdown between two of the world's best forwards and a playoff bracket promising a truly mouthwatering encounter between two greats of the game.

The Draw That Seemed Like It Would Go On Forever

Numerous viewers tuned in eager to find out their national side's group stage fixtures. However, despite the fact fans are accustomed to such ceremonies being lengthy, this was extraordinary.

Following performances by Robbie Williams and a former Pussycat Doll, addresses from dignitaries and Fifa officials, plus numerous montages and discussions, it eventually appeared to begin nearly an hour later. That was an illusion.

This led to further commentary and entertainment, before the actual draw finally commenced nearly an hour and a half after the glitzy event initially started. The selection then took 59 minutes to complete.

On to the Football Itself...

Next summer's tournament will be the biggest in the competition's history, with a record 48 teams and a first-ever additional knockout round. Yet, this expansion has maybe resulted in the initial phase being somewhat weakened in overall strength.

There are very few matches between the major nations. The Three Lions' game against their 2018 semi-final opponents 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 next best. The Dutch have the toughest group by official standings, while Die Mannschaft—grouped with less-fancied opponents—have the easiest on paper. But, compelling contests remain.

Two Goal Machines Face Off

Generational goalgetter Erling Haaland will make his debut in his major international competition in the upcoming finals. The Manchester City forward scored 16 times in qualifying matches to drag his nation to their initial berth since 1998.

Few have been able to rival the 25-year-old's incredible goalscoring feats—except for one player is set to face him in the last match of group games. Together with Senegal, The Nordic side have been paired with Kylian Mbappe's Les Bleus.

This means the top marksmen in the Premier League and La Liga will go head-to-head for the first time in on the global stage. Anticipate net-bulgers. Plenty of scoring.

A Familiar Foe

El Tri will face Bafana Bafana in the first game—repeating history. The sides also opened the 2010 edition. That match, ending 1-1, is best remembered for a thunderous goal.

Another eye-catching group game will see the French again come up against Senegal, who stunned the then-world champions back in the 2002 World Cup. On that first day, a then-unknown player upstaged France's galaxy of stars to score the decisive goal.

Dream Ties for the First-Timers

Four new nations have taken advantage of the larger World Cup to reach the tournament for the first time. 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 play at a World Cup, will meet four-time winners Die Mannschaft. The island nation, with a resident count of around half a million, will face European champions and 2010 World Cup winners La Roja.

The Middle Eastern side, after decades of trying, will face title-holders La Albiceleste and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, The Central Asian team will be led by a 2006 World Cup winner against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.

What About the Knockout Stage?

Assuming all the favorites make it safely through their groups, we shouldn't have to wait for the big hitters to collide. The round of 32 is where things could get extremely interesting, most notably with a possible matchup between former champions the Germans and the French.

On the other side of the bracket, eyes will be fixed on the last eight, where old rivals Messi and Ronaldo are set for a potential showdown. It would depend on both Messi's team and Portugal finishing top and navigating the initial playoffs.

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