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Next summer's World Cup is at last beginning to seem very real. Although supporters are now able to begin planning their schedules, the recent draw in the US capital was not short of significant headlines.

Long before the Village People performed with their classic hit, we were left picking the bones out of a opening round featuring a clash between football's top strikers and a playoff bracket promising a truly mouthwatering encounter between legends of the sport.

The Ceremony That Felt Like It May Never End

Many people tuned in eager to discover their team's group stage fixtures. But, despite the fact fans are used to these draws taking some time, this one set a new standard.

Following performances by Robbie Williams and a former Pussycat Doll, addresses from political leaders and football's governing body, plus numerous montages and discussions, it finally seemed to get going almost 60 minutes later. That was an illusion.

This led to more interviews and performances, before the real selection process eventually began around 90 minutes after the star-studded show initially started. The selection then took 59 minutes to finish.

Moving On to the Actual Football...

Next summer's World Cup will be the largest in history, with a record 48 teams and a first-ever additional knockout round. However, this increase in size has maybe resulted in the initial phase being somewhat weakened in overall strength.

There are hardly any fixtures between the major nations. The Three Lions' game against their 2018 semi-final opponents is the most significant theoretically. That is the only group fixture featuring two teams ranked in the top 10.

The Selecao versus Morocco is the second most intriguing. The Dutch have the toughest group by official standings, while Germany—grouped with less-fancied opponents—have the easiest on paper. Nevertheless, interesting matches still await.

A Pair of Goal Machines Face Off

Phenomenal striker Norway's star will make his debut in his first major tournament next summer. The Premier League forward scored 16 times in qualifying matches to drag his nation to their first appearance since 1998.

Hardly any have managed to rival the youngster's ridiculous goalscoring feats—but someone who has is scheduled to come up against him in the last match of group games. Together with The Lions of Teranga, The Nordic side have been drawn against Kylian Mbappe's Les Bleus.

This means the top marksmen in the English top flight and La Liga will clash for the first time in on the global stage. Expect goals. Plenty of scoring.

We Meet Again

Mexico will face Bafana Bafana in the opening match—repeating history. The two teams also opened the tournament in South Africa. That match, which finished 1-1, is most famous for a thunderous goal.

Another eye-catching fixture will see the French again come up against Senegal, who stunned the then-world champions back in the 2002 World Cup. On that first day, a then-unknown player outshone France's galaxy of stars to score the winning goal.

Dream Ties for the First-Timers

Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Jordan and Curacao have benefited from the larger World Cup to reach the finals 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 play at a World Cup, will meet multiple winners Die Mannschaft. The island nation, with a population of around half a million, will face European champions and 2010 World Cup winners Spain.

Jordan, after 40 years of trying, will face title-holders Argentina and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be led by a former champion against Cristiano Ronaldo's Selecao das Quinas.

What About the Playoff Rounds?

If all the favorites progress from their groups, we shouldn't have to wait for the big hitters to collide. The round of 32 is where things could get really tasty, most notably with a potential tie between former champions Germany and France.

On the other side of the bracket, eyes will be drawn to the quarter-final stage, where historic adversaries Messi and the Portuguese are set for a potential showdown. It would depend on both Argentina and Portugal finishing top and navigating the initial playoffs.

For England, a game against co-hosts Mexico seems the probable last-32 tie. Should Scotland progress, Samurai Blue or the Netherlands could await in what would be their historic World Cup playoff match.