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

Long before the iconic group took to the stage with YMCA, we were left picking the bones out of a opening round featuring a clash between football's top strikers and a knockout stage that could produce a highly anticipated encounter between two greats of the sport.

The Ceremony That Felt Like It Would Go On Forever

Many people logged on keen to find out their team's group stage fixtures. But, even though fans are used to these draws being lengthy, this one set a new standard.

After performances by a pop star and a former Pussycat Doll, speeches from dignitaries and Fifa officials, plus countless video packages and discussions, it finally seemed to begin nearly an hour later. Or so we thought.

This led to more interviews and performances, before the real selection process finally commenced nearly an hour and a half after the star-studded show first kicked off. The selection then required almost an hour to finish.

Moving On to the Football Itself...

The upcoming World Cup will be the biggest in history, with a unprecedented number of nations and a new round of 32. Yet, this increase in size has maybe resulted in the initial phase being somewhat weakened in quality.

There are very few fixtures between the traditional powerhouses. England's game against their 2018 semi-final opponents is the biggest theoretically. That is the sole opening-round game with two teams ranked in the top 10.

Brazil versus The Atlas Lions is the second most intriguing. The Dutch have the toughest group by official standings, while Germany—grouped with Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the weakest. Nevertheless, interesting matches remain.

A Pair of Prolific Scorers Go Head-to-Head

Generational goalgetter Erling Haaland will get a crack at his major international competition in the upcoming finals. The Manchester City forward scored 16 times in qualifying matches to single-handedly carry his country to their first appearance since 1998.

Few have managed to come close to the 25-year-old's ridiculous goalscoring feats—except for one player is scheduled to come up against him in the last match of group games. Along with Senegal, The Nordic side have been paired with Kylian Mbappe's France.

This means the leading scorers in the English top flight and La Liga will go head-to-head for the initial occasion in on the global stage. Anticipate net-bulgers. Lots of goals.

A Familiar Foe

Mexico will take on South Africa in the opening match—and not for the first time. The sides also kicked off the tournament in South Africa. That game, ending 1-1, is most famous for a thunderous goal.

Another eye-catching group game will see France once more face the Senegalese, who stunned the then-world champions back in the 2002 World Cup. On that first day, a future Fulham midfielder outshone France's galaxy of stars to score the winning goal.

Fantasy Fixtures for the Debutants

Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Jordan and Curacao have taken advantage of the larger World Cup to qualify for the tournament for the first occasion. But, standing in their way are past winners, continental title-holders and South American champions.

In one group, Curacao, the least populous country to ever play at a World Cup, will take on four-time winners Germany. The island nation, with a resident count of around half a million, will face Euro winners and former champions La Roja.

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

And Then Comes the Playoff Rounds?

Assuming all the top teams make it safely through their groups, fans may not wait long for the big hitters to meet. 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 other side of the draw, eyes will be drawn to the quarter-final stage, where historic adversaries the Argentine and Ronaldo are lined up for a possible showdown. It would depend on both Argentina and Portugal winning their groups and navigating the early knockout rounds.

Regarding the Three Lions, a game against tournament hosts seems the most likely first knockout game. And, if Scotland are able to get through, Samurai Blue or the Netherlands could be waiting in what would be their first ever World Cup playoff match.