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

The upcoming World Cup is finally starting to feel very real. Although supporters are now able to begin marking their calendars, the recent ceremony in Washington DC was not short of significant headlines.

Long before the Village People performed with YMCA, observers were analyzing a group stage that includes a showdown between football's top strikers and a playoff bracket promising a truly mouthwatering encounter between legends of the sport.

The Draw That Seemed Like It Would Go On Forever

Numerous viewers logged on keen to discover their team's initial opponents. However, despite the fact fans are used to these draws taking some time, this was extraordinary.

After performances by a pop star and Nicole Scherzinger, speeches from dignitaries and football's governing body, plus countless video packages and discussions, it eventually appeared to begin nearly an hour later. Or so we thought.

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

On to the Actual Football...

The upcoming World Cup will be the largest in history, with a record 48 teams and a first-ever additional knockout round. Yet, this increase in size has perhaps led to the initial phase being somewhat weakened in quality.

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

The Selecao versus Morocco is the next best. The Dutch have the toughest group by Fifa world rankings, while Die Mannschaft—drawn against less-fancied opponents—have the easiest on paper. Nevertheless, interesting matches remain.

Two Prolific Scorers Face Off

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

Hardly any have been able to rival the youngster's ridiculous goalscoring feats—except for one player is set to face 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 Premier League and Spain's division will clash for the first time in international football. Anticipate goals. Plenty of scoring.

A Familiar Foe

El Tri will face Bafana Bafana in the opening match—repeating history. The two teams also opened the 2010 edition. That match, ending 1-1, is best remembered for a thunderous second-half strike.

Another eye-catching group game will see the French again come up against the Senegalese, who shocked the reigning title-holders 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 First-Timers

Four new nations have taken advantage of the expanded World Cup to reach the finals for the first time. But, standing in their way are former world champions, continental title-holders and South American champions.

In one group, the tiny Caribbean island, the least populous country to ever feature in a World Cup, will take on four-time winners Die Mannschaft. Cape Verde, with a population of around 600,000, will face European champions and former champions Spain.

Jordan, after decades of trying, will face defending champions La Albiceleste and the legendary forward. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be guided by a 2006 World Cup winner against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.

What About 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 round of 32 is where things could get extremely interesting, 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 last eight, where historic adversaries the Argentine and Ronaldo are lined up for a potential clash. It would require both Messi's team and Portugal winning their groups and squeezing through the initial playoffs.

Regarding the Three Lions, a game against co-hosts Mexico seems the probable last-32 tie. And, if the Scots are able to get through, Samurai Blue or the Netherlands could await in what would be their first ever World Cup playoff match.