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The upcoming global tournament is at last beginning to seem very real. Although fans are now able to begin marking their calendars, the recent ceremony in Washington DC was full of major talking points.

Well before the iconic group performed with YMCA, we were left picking the bones out of a group stage featuring a clash between two of the world's best forwards and a playoff bracket that could produce a highly anticipated encounter between two greats of the game.

The Ceremony That Seemed Like It Would Go On Forever

Many people tuned in keen to discover their national side's group stage opponents. However, despite the fact supporters are accustomed to these draws being lengthy, this was extraordinary.

After performances by a pop star and Nicole Scherzinger, addresses from political leaders and football's governing body, plus countless montages and interviews, it finally seemed to begin nearly an hour later. Or so we thought.

Cue more interviews and performances, before the actual draw eventually began around 90 minutes after the glitzy event initially started. The draw itself then took 59 minutes to finish.

Moving On to the Football Itself...

Next summer's tournament will be the largest in the competition's history, with a record 48 teams and a new round of 32. However, this expansion has maybe resulted in the group stage being somewhat weakened in overall strength.

There are very few matches between the traditional powerhouses. England's game against Croatia is the biggest theoretically. That is the sole opening-round game featuring two teams inside the world's elite.

Brazil versus The Atlas Lions is the second most intriguing. The Dutch have the toughest group by official standings, while Germany—drawn against Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the weakest. But, interesting matches remain.

A Pair of Prolific Scorers Face Off

Generational goalgetter 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 country to their initial berth since 1998.

Few have been able to rival the 25-year-old's incredible goalscoring feats—but someone who has is scheduled to come up against him in the last match of the group stage. Along with The Lions of Teranga, 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 clash for the first time in on the global stage. Anticipate goals. Lots of goals.

A Familiar Foe

Mexico will take on Bafana Bafana in the opening match—repeating history. The sides also opened the 2010 edition. That match, which finished 1-1, is best remembered for a rasping second-half strike.

Another notable fixture will see France again come up against Senegal, who stunned the reigning title-holders back in the 2002 World Cup. On that first day, a future Fulham midfielder upstaged France's cast of star names to score the decisive goal.

Fantasy Fixtures for the First-Timers

Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Jordan and Curacao have benefited from the expanded World Cup to reach the tournament for the first time. But, awaiting them are past winners, European champions and South American champions.

In one group, the tiny Caribbean island, the least populous country to ever play at a World Cup, will take on multiple winners Die Mannschaft. Cape Verde, with a resident count of around 600,000, will face Euro winners and 2010 World Cup winners La Roja.

The Middle Eastern side, after decades of trying, meets defending champions Argentina and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, The Central Asian team will be led by a 2006 World Cup winner against the Portuguese icon's Selecao das Quinas.

What About the Playoff Rounds?

If all the favorites make it safely through their groups, we shouldn't have to wait for the big hitters to meet. The last 16 is where things could get extremely interesting, most notably with a possible matchup between former champions Germany and the French.

On the other side of the bracket, eyes will be drawn to the last eight, where historic adversaries the Argentine and the Portuguese are lined up for a potential clash. It would require both Argentina and Ronaldo's side winning their groups and navigating the early knockout rounds.

Regarding the Three Lions, a match with co-hosts Mexico seems the probable first knockout game. And, if the Scots are able to get through, Samurai Blue or the Dutch could await in what would be their historic World Cup knockout fixture.