Haaland vs Mbappe, Dream Match-ups and The Village People: The Highlights from the World Cup Draw

The upcoming global tournament is finally beginning to seem very real. While fans are now able to begin marking their calendars, Friday's draw in Washington DC was not short of major talking points.

Long before the Village People performed with their classic hit, we were left picking the bones out of a group stage featuring a showdown between two of the world's best forwards and a playoff bracket that could produce a highly anticipated encounter between legends of the sport.

The Draw That Felt Like It Would Go On Forever

Numerous viewers tuned in eager to find out their national side's group stage opponents. But, despite the fact supporters are used to such ceremonies taking some time, this one set a new standard.

Following acts by a pop star and a former Pussycat Doll, speeches from political leaders and Fifa officials, plus numerous montages and interviews, it finally seemed to get going nearly an hour later. Or so we thought.

This led to more interviews and performances, before the actual draw eventually began nearly an hour and a half after the glitzy event first kicked off. The draw itself then required almost an hour to complete.

Moving On to the Actual Football...

The upcoming World Cup will be the largest in history, with a record 48 teams and a new round of 32. Yet, this increase in size has perhaps led to the initial phase being slightly diluted in overall strength.

There are hardly any fixtures between the traditional powerhouses. England's match with Croatia is the biggest on paper. That is the sole opening-round game with two teams inside the world's elite.

The Selecao versus Morocco is the second most intriguing. The Dutch have the toughest group by Fifa world rankings, while Germany—drawn against less-fancied opponents—have the weakest. Nevertheless, compelling contests still await.

Two Goal Machines Face Off

Phenomenal striker Erling Haaland will get a crack at his first major tournament next summer. The Premier League striker scored 16 times in qualifying matches to drag his country to their first appearance 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 group games. Together 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 La Liga will go head-to-head for the first time in on the global stage. Anticipate goals. Lots of goals.

A Familiar Foe

Mexico will take on South Africa in the opening match—and not for the first time. The two teams also opened the 2010 edition. That match, which finished 1-1, is most famous for a rasping second-half strike.

Another notable group game 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 Debutants

Four new nations have taken advantage of the expanded World Cup to qualify for the finals for the first occasion. However, awaiting them are former world champions, European champions and Copa America winners.

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

The Middle Eastern side, after decades of trying, meets defending champions La Albiceleste and the legendary forward. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be guided by a 2006 World Cup winner against Cristiano Ronaldo's Selecao das Quinas.

What About the Playoff Rounds?

If all the top teams progress from their groups, fans may not wait long for the heavyweights to meet. The round of 32 is where things could get extremely interesting, most notably with a potential tie between former champions Germany and the French.

On the other side of the bracket, eyes will be drawn to the quarter-final stage, where historic adversaries the Argentine and Ronaldo are lined up for a possible clash. It would depend on both Messi's team and Ronaldo's side finishing top and squeezing through the initial playoffs.

Regarding the Three Lions, a game against tournament hosts seems the probable first knockout game. Should Scotland progress, Japan or the Dutch could await in what would be their first ever World Cup knockout fixture.