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The upcoming World Cup is finally beginning to seem tangible. Although supporters can finally start planning their schedules, Friday's ceremony in the US capital was full of significant headlines.

Long before the Village People took to the stage with their classic hit, we were left analyzing a opening round featuring a clash between two of the world's best strikers and a playoff bracket that could produce a highly anticipated meeting between two greats of the sport.

The Draw That Seemed Like It May Never End

Numerous viewers tuned in keen to find out their team's initial fixtures. However, despite the fact supporters are accustomed to such ceremonies taking some time, this was extraordinary.

After acts by a pop star and Nicole Scherzinger, speeches from political leaders and Fifa officials, plus countless video packages and interviews, it eventually appeared to begin almost 60 minutes later. That was an illusion.

This led to further commentary and performances, before the real selection process eventually began around 90 minutes after the star-studded show first kicked off. The selection then required almost an hour to complete.

Moving On to the Football Itself...

The upcoming tournament will be the biggest in the competition's history, with a unprecedented number of nations and a new round of 32. Yet, this expansion has maybe resulted in the initial phase being somewhat weakened in quality.

There are very few matches between the major nations. England's match with Croatia is the most significant theoretically. That is the only group fixture with two teams ranked in the top 10.

The Selecao versus Morocco is the next best. The Netherlands have the toughest group by official standings, while Germany—drawn against less-fancied opponents—have the weakest. But, interesting matches still await.

Two Prolific Scorers Face Off

Phenomenal striker Erling Haaland will get a crack at his major international competition next summer. The Premier League forward scored 16 times in qualifying matches to drag his country to their first appearance since 1998.

Hardly any have managed to come close to the youngster's ridiculous goalscoring feats—but someone who has is scheduled to come up against him in the final round of group games. Along with Senegal, The Nordic side have been drawn against the French superstar's France.

This means the leading scorers in the English top flight and La Liga will clash for the first time in international football. Expect goals. Plenty of scoring.

We Meet Again

El Tri will face South Africa in the opening match—repeating history. The sides also opened the 2010 edition. That game, which finished 1-1, is most famous for a rasping goal.

Another eye-catching fixture will see France once more face Senegal, who stunned the then-world champions back in 2002. On that first day, a then-unknown player upstaged France's galaxy of stars to score the winning goal.

Fantasy Fixtures for the Debutants

Four new nations have taken advantage of the larger World Cup to reach the tournament for the first occasion. But, awaiting them are past winners, continental title-holders and Copa America winners.

In one group, Curacao, the smallest nation to ever feature in a World Cup, will take on four-time winners Germany. Cape Verde, with a resident count of around 600,000, will face European champions and former champions La Roja.

Jordan, after 40 years of trying, meets title-holders La Albiceleste and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be guided by a former champion against the Portuguese icon's Selecao das Quinas.

And Then Comes the Knockout Stage?

If all the favorites make it safely through their groups, we shouldn't have to wait for the big hitters to collide. The last 16 is where things could get really tasty, most notably with a possible matchup between past winners the Germans and France.

On the opposite half of the draw, eyes will be drawn to the quarter-final stage, where old rivals Messi and the Portuguese are lined up for a possible clash. It would require both Messi's team and Ronaldo's side finishing top and squeezing through the early knockout rounds.

Regarding the Three Lions, a match with tournament hosts seems the most likely last-32 tie. Should Scotland progress, Samurai Blue or the Netherlands could be waiting in what would be their historic World Cup playoff match.