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The upcoming global tournament is finally starting to feel tangible. While supporters can finally start planning their schedules, the recent draw in Washington DC was full of significant headlines.

Long before the Village People took to the stage with their classic hit, observers were picking the bones out of a group stage featuring a clash between two of the world's best forwards and a knockout stage promising a truly mouthwatering encounter between two greats of the sport.

The Draw That Seemed Like It Would Go On Forever

Numerous viewers logged on keen to find out their team's group stage opponents. However, despite the fact supporters are accustomed to these draws taking some time, this one set a new standard.

After performances by Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger, addresses from dignitaries and football's governing body, plus countless video packages and interviews, it eventually appeared to get going nearly an hour later. Or so we thought.

Cue further commentary and entertainment, before the actual draw eventually began nearly an hour and a half after the star-studded show initially started. The selection then took 59 minutes to finish.

Moving On to the Actual Football...

The upcoming tournament will be the largest in history, with a unprecedented number of nations and a new round of 32. However, this expansion 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 Croatia is the most significant on paper. That is the only group fixture featuring two teams inside the world's elite.

The Selecao versus Morocco is the second most intriguing. The Dutch have the toughest group by Fifa world rankings, while Die Mannschaft—grouped with Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the easiest on paper. Nevertheless, interesting matches remain.

A Pair of Prolific Scorers Face Off

Generational goalgetter Norway's star will make his debut in his major international competition next summer. The Manchester City forward netted 16 goals in eight matches to drag his nation to their initial berth since 1998.

Few have managed to come close to the youngster's ridiculous goalscoring feats—except for one player is set to face him in the last match of group games. Along with The Lions of Teranga, Norway have been paired with Kylian Mbappe's Les Bleus.

This means the top marksmen in the English top flight and Spain's division will go head-to-head for the initial occasion in on the global stage. Anticipate goals. Lots of goals.

A Familiar Foe

El Tri will face 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 rasping second-half strike.

Another notable group game will see the French once more face the Senegalese, who stunned the then-world champions back in 2002. On that opening night, a then-unknown player upstaged France's cast of star names to score the decisive goal.

Dream Ties for the Debutants

Four new nations have benefited from the expanded World Cup to reach the finals for the first time. However, standing in their way are past winners, European champions and Copa America winners.

In one group, Curacao, the smallest nation to ever feature in a World Cup, will meet four-time winners Die Mannschaft. The island nation, with a resident count of around half a million, will face Euro winners and former champions Spain.

Jordan, after decades of trying, will face defending champions Argentina and the legendary forward. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be led by a former champion against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.

And Then Comes the Knockout Stage?

Assuming all the top teams progress from their groups, we shouldn't have to wait for the heavyweights to meet. The round of 32 is where things could get really tasty, most notably with a potential tie between past winners Germany and the French.

On the opposite half of the draw, eyes will be fixed on the last eight, where historic adversaries the Argentine and the Portuguese are set for a possible clash. It would require both Argentina and Portugal finishing top and navigating the initial playoffs.

For England, a game against co-hosts Mexico seems the probable first knockout game. And, if Scotland are able to get through, Japan or the Netherlands could await in what would be their first ever World Cup knockout fixture.