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The upcoming global tournament is finally starting to feel very real. While fans are now able to begin marking their calendars, Friday's draw in the US capital was not short of significant headlines.

Well before the iconic group performed with YMCA, we were left analyzing a group stage featuring a showdown between football's top forwards and a playoff bracket promising a highly anticipated meeting between legends of the game.

The Draw That Felt Like It Would Go On Forever

Many people tuned in eager to find out their national side's initial opponents. However, even though supporters are used to such ceremonies being lengthy, this one set a new standard.

After acts by Robbie Williams and a former Pussycat Doll, speeches from political leaders and football's governing body, plus numerous video packages and interviews, it finally seemed to get going almost 60 minutes later. Or so we thought.

This led to further commentary and entertainment, before the actual draw eventually began nearly an hour and a half after the glitzy event initially started. The draw itself then required almost an hour to complete.

Moving On to the Actual Football...

Next summer's World Cup will be the largest in the competition's 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 overall strength.

There are hardly any fixtures between the traditional powerhouses. The Three Lions' game against their 2018 semi-final opponents is the biggest 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 official standings, while Die Mannschaft—grouped with less-fancied opponents—have the weakest. But, interesting matches remain.

Two Prolific Scorers Go Head-to-Head

Phenomenal striker Norway's star will get a crack at his major international competition next summer. The Manchester City forward scored 16 times in qualifying matches to drag his country to their first appearance since 1998.

Few have managed to rival the 25-year-old's ridiculous scoring records—except for one player is set to face him in the last match of group games. Along with Senegal, The Nordic side have been drawn against Kylian Mbappe's France.

This means the top marksmen in the Premier League and Spain's division will go head-to-head for the first time in international football. Anticipate net-bulgers. Plenty of scoring.

We Meet Again

El Tri will face South Africa in the first game—repeating history. The sides also kicked off the 2010 edition. That game, 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 stunned the reigning title-holders back in 2002. On that first day, a then-unknown player upstaged France's galaxy of stars to score the decisive goal.

Dream Ties for the Debutants

Four new nations have taken advantage of the larger World Cup to qualify for the tournament for the first occasion. But, standing in their way are past winners, European champions and South American champions.

In one group, the tiny Caribbean island, the smallest nation to ever feature in a World Cup, will meet four-time winners Germany. The island nation, with a population of around 600,000, will face Euro winners and former champions Spain.

The Middle Eastern side, after 40 years of trying, will face title-holders La Albiceleste and the legendary forward. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be guided by a former champion against Cristiano Ronaldo's Selecao das Quinas.

And Then Comes the Knockout Stage?

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

On the other side of the bracket, eyes will be fixed on the quarter-final stage, where old rivals the Argentine and the Portuguese are lined up for a possible clash. It would require both Messi's team and Portugal winning their groups and navigating the early knockout rounds.

For England, a match with co-hosts Mexico seems the probable first knockout game. Should the Scots progress, Samurai Blue or the Dutch could be waiting in what would be their historic World Cup knockout fixture.