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

The upcoming World Cup is at last starting to feel tangible. While fans can finally start marking their calendars, Friday's draw in Washington DC was not short of significant headlines.

Well before the iconic group performed with their classic hit, we were left picking the bones out of a group stage featuring a clash between football's top strikers and a knockout stage that could produce a truly mouthwatering meeting between legends of the game.

The Draw That Seemed Like It May Never End

Numerous viewers tuned in eager to discover their national side's group stage opponents. But, despite the fact fans are accustomed to such ceremonies taking some time, this one set a new standard.

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

Cue further commentary and performances, before the real selection process finally commenced around 90 minutes after the star-studded show initially started. The selection then required almost an hour to complete.

On to the Actual Football...

Next summer's World Cup will be the largest in history, with a unprecedented number of nations and a first-ever additional knockout round. Yet, this expansion has perhaps led to the initial phase being somewhat weakened in quality.

There are hardly any fixtures between the major nations. England's match with their 2018 semi-final opponents is the most significant on paper. That is the only group fixture with two teams ranked in the top 10.

Brazil versus Morocco is the second most intriguing. The Dutch have the most difficult draw by Fifa world rankings, while Die Mannschaft—drawn against Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the weakest. But, interesting matches remain.

Two Goal Machines Face Off

Generational goalgetter Norway's star will get a crack at his first major tournament in the upcoming finals. The Premier League forward netted 16 goals in eight matches to single-handedly carry his nation to their first appearance since 1998.

Hardly any have managed to come close to the 25-year-old's ridiculous scoring records—except for one player is set to come up against him in the final round of the group stage. Along with The Lions of Teranga, Norway have been drawn against Kylian Mbappe's Les Bleus.

This means the leading scorers in the Premier League and La Liga will go head-to-head for the first time in on the global stage. Expect goals. Plenty of scoring.

A Familiar Foe

El Tri will face Bafana Bafana in the opening match—and not for the first time. The two teams also kicked off the tournament in South Africa. 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 reigning title-holders 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.

Fantasy Fixtures for the Debutants

Four new nations have taken advantage of the larger World Cup to reach the tournament for the first time. But, standing in their way are past winners, 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 Germany. Cape Verde, with a resident count of around 600,000, will face Euro winners and former champions Spain.

The Middle Eastern side, after 40 years of trying, meets defending champions Argentina and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be guided by a former champion against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.

And Then Comes the Knockout Stage?

Assuming all the favorites progress from 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 potential tie between past winners the Germans and the French.

On the opposite half of the bracket, eyes will be fixed on the last eight, where historic adversaries the Argentine and the Portuguese are set for a potential clash. It would depend on both Argentina and Ronaldo's side winning their groups and navigating the initial playoffs.

For England, a match with tournament hosts seems the probable last-32 tie. Should the Scots are able to get through, Samurai Blue or the Dutch could await in what would be their historic World Cup knockout fixture.