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Next summer's World Cup is at last starting to feel very real. Although fans can finally start marking their calendars, Friday's draw in Washington DC was full of significant headlines.

Long before the iconic group took to the stage with YMCA, observers were picking the bones out of a group stage featuring a showdown between two of the world's best forwards and a playoff bracket promising a highly anticipated meeting between two greats of the sport.

The Ceremony That Seemed Like It May Never End

Many people logged on keen to discover their national side's initial opponents. But, even though supporters are used to these draws being lengthy, this one set a new standard.

After performances by Robbie Williams and a former Pussycat Doll, speeches from political leaders and football's governing body, plus numerous montages and discussions, it eventually appeared to begin nearly an hour later. That was an illusion.

This led to more interviews and entertainment, before the real selection process finally commenced nearly an hour and a half after the glitzy event initially started. The selection then took 59 minutes to complete.

On to the Football Itself...

Next summer's World Cup will be the biggest in history, with a unprecedented number of nations and a first-ever additional knockout round. Yet, this increase in size has maybe resulted in the group stage being somewhat weakened in quality.

There are hardly any matches between the traditional powerhouses. England's game against Croatia is the most significant theoretically. That is the sole opening-round game with two teams ranked in the top 10.

Brazil versus Morocco is the second most intriguing. The Dutch have the toughest group by Fifa world rankings, while Die Mannschaft—drawn against less-fancied opponents—have the weakest. Nevertheless, compelling contests remain.

A Pair of Prolific Scorers Face Off

Phenomenal striker Norway's star will make his debut in his major international competition next summer. The Premier League striker scored 16 times in qualifying matches to drag his country to their initial berth since 1998.

Hardly any have been able to come close to the youngster's ridiculous goalscoring feats—but someone who has is scheduled 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 top marksmen in the English top flight and Spain's division will go head-to-head for the initial occasion in international football. Expect goals. Lots of goals.

A Familiar Foe

Mexico will take on Bafana Bafana in the first game—repeating history. The two teams also kicked off the 2010 edition. That game, which finished 1-1, is best remembered for a thunderous second-half strike.

Another eye-catching fixture will see France again come up against the Senegalese, who stunned the then-world champions back in 2002. On that opening night, a then-unknown player upstaged France's cast of star names to score the winning goal.

Dream Ties for the First-Timers

Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Jordan and Curacao have taken advantage of the expanded World Cup to reach the finals for the first occasion. However, awaiting them are former world champions, 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 Germany. Cape Verde, with a population of around 600,000, will face Euro winners and former champions Spain.

The Middle Eastern side, after decades of trying, will face defending champions La Albiceleste 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 make it safely through their groups, fans may not wait long for the heavyweights to meet. The last 16 is where things could get extremely interesting, most notably with a possible matchup between former champions the Germans and the French.

On the opposite half of the bracket, eyes will be drawn to the quarter-final stage, where historic adversaries Messi and the Portuguese are lined up for a possible clash. It would require both Messi's team and Ronaldo's side finishing top and navigating the early knockout rounds.

For England, a match with tournament hosts seems the probable last-32 tie. Should Scotland are able to get through, Japan or the Dutch could be waiting in what would be their first ever World Cup playoff match.