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Next summer's global tournament is finally beginning to seem tangible. Although fans can finally start planning their schedules, Friday's draw in the US capital was not short of major talking points.

Long before the Village People took to the stage with their classic hit, we were left analyzing a group stage featuring a showdown between football's top strikers and a knockout stage promising a truly mouthwatering encounter between legends of the game.

The Draw That Seemed Like It Would Go On Forever

Numerous viewers logged on eager to find out their national side's initial fixtures. But, even though fans are used to such ceremonies being lengthy, this one set a new standard.

After performances by Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger, addresses from dignitaries and football's governing body, plus countless video packages and discussions, it finally seemed to begin nearly an hour later. Or so we thought.

This led to more interviews and entertainment, before the real selection process eventually began nearly an hour and a half after the star-studded show first kicked off. The draw itself then required almost an hour to finish.

On to the Football Itself...

The upcoming tournament will be the largest in history, with a unprecedented number of nations and a new round of 32. However, this increase in size has maybe resulted in the group stage being somewhat weakened in overall strength.

There are very few fixtures between the major nations. England's game against Croatia is the most significant theoretically. That is the only group fixture with two teams ranked in the top 10.

Brazil versus Morocco is the second most intriguing. The Netherlands have the most difficult draw by official standings, while Germany—drawn against Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the easiest on paper. But, interesting matches remain.

Two Prolific Scorers Go Head-to-Head

Generational goalgetter Erling Haaland will make his debut in his first major tournament next summer. The Manchester City forward scored 16 times in qualifying matches to drag his nation to their initial berth since 1998.

Hardly any have managed to come close to the 25-year-old's incredible goalscoring feats—but someone who has is set to face him in the last match of the group stage. Along with The Lions of Teranga, The Nordic side have been drawn against the French superstar's France.

This means the leading scorers in the Premier League and La Liga will clash for the initial occasion in on the global stage. Expect net-bulgers. Plenty of scoring.

We Meet Again

Mexico will face Bafana Bafana in the first game—and not for the first time. The sides also kicked off the tournament in South Africa. That game, ending 1-1, is most famous for a thunderous second-half strike.

Another eye-catching fixture will see France once more face the Senegalese, who stunned the reigning title-holders back in the 2002 World Cup. On that first day, a future Fulham midfielder outshone France's cast of star names to score the winning goal.

Fantasy Fixtures for the First-Timers

Four new nations have taken advantage of the expanded World Cup to reach the finals for the first occasion. However, standing in their way are former world champions, continental title-holders and South American champions.

In one group, the tiny Caribbean island, the smallest nation to ever play at a World Cup, will take on four-time winners Germany. Cape Verde, with a resident count of around half a million, will face Euro winners and 2010 World Cup winners Spain.

Jordan, after 40 years of trying, meets defending champions Argentina and the legendary forward. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be led by a 2006 World Cup winner against the Portuguese icon's Portugal.

And Then Comes the Playoff Rounds?

Assuming all the top teams progress from their groups, we shouldn't have to wait for the heavyweights to meet. The round of 32 is where things could get extremely interesting, most notably with a possible matchup between former champions the Germans and France.

On the other side of the bracket, eyes will be fixed on the last eight, where historic adversaries Messi and Ronaldo are lined up for a possible showdown. It would require both Messi's team and Ronaldo's side finishing top and squeezing through the early knockout rounds.

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