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The upcoming global tournament is finally beginning to seem very real. Although fans can finally start planning their schedules, the recent draw in the US capital was not short of significant headlines.

Long before the Village People performed with their classic hit, observers were picking the bones out of a group stage featuring a showdown between football's top strikers and a knockout stage that could produce a truly mouthwatering encounter between legends of the game.

The Ceremony That Seemed Like It Would Go On Forever

Numerous viewers logged on eager to discover their team's group stage opponents. However, despite the fact supporters are used to these draws being lengthy, this was extraordinary.

After acts by Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger, addresses from political leaders and Fifa officials, plus countless montages and interviews, it finally seemed to get going nearly an hour later. That was an illusion.

Cue further commentary and performances, before the actual draw finally commenced around 90 minutes after the glitzy event initially started. The draw itself then required almost an hour to complete.

Moving On to the Football Itself...

The upcoming tournament will be the biggest in history, with a record 48 teams and a first-ever additional knockout round. However, this increase in size has maybe resulted in the initial phase being slightly diluted in quality.

There are very few fixtures between the major nations. England's game against their 2018 semi-final opponents is the most significant theoretically. That is the only group fixture featuring two teams ranked in the top 10.

The Selecao versus The Atlas Lions is the next best. The Dutch have the toughest group by Fifa world rankings, while Germany—drawn against Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the weakest. But, interesting matches remain.

Two Prolific Scorers Go Head-to-Head

Generational goalgetter Norway's star will get a crack at his first major tournament in the upcoming finals. The Manchester City forward scored 16 times in qualifying 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 incredible goalscoring feats—except for one player is set to face him in the final round of the group stage. Together with The Lions of Teranga, Norway have been drawn against the French superstar's Les Bleus.

This means the leading scorers in the Premier League and La Liga will go head-to-head for the initial occasion in on the global stage. Expect net-bulgers. Plenty of scoring.

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 most famous for a rasping goal.

Another notable group game will see France again come up against Senegal, who stunned the then-world champions back in the 2002 World Cup. On that opening night, a future Fulham midfielder outshone France's galaxy of stars to score the decisive goal.

Fantasy Fixtures for the First-Timers

Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Jordan and Curacao have taken advantage of the larger World Cup to reach the finals for the first occasion. But, standing in their way are former world champions, European champions and South American champions.

In one group, Curacao, the least populous country to ever feature in a World Cup, will meet 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 La Roja.

Jordan, after decades of trying, will face defending champions Argentina and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, The Central Asian team will be led by a former champion against Cristiano Ronaldo's Selecao das Quinas.

What About the Playoff Rounds?

Assuming all the top teams make it safely through their groups, fans may not wait long for the heavyweights to meet. The last 16 is where things could get extremely interesting, most notably with a possible matchup between past winners Germany and the French.

On the other side of the draw, eyes will be drawn to the last eight, where old rivals Messi and the Portuguese are lined up for a possible clash. It would depend on both Argentina and Portugal winning their groups and squeezing through the initial playoffs.

For England, a game against co-hosts Mexico seems the most likely first knockout game. Should the Scots progress, Japan or the Netherlands could be waiting in what would be their historic World Cup playoff match.