Haaland vs Mbappe, Fantasy Fixtures and YMCA: The Highlights from the FIFA Draw Ceremony

Next summer's World Cup is finally starting to feel tangible. While fans can finally start planning their schedules, Friday's draw in Washington DC was full of significant headlines.

Long before the iconic group performed with YMCA, we were left picking the bones out of a opening round featuring a showdown between football's top strikers and a knockout stage promising a truly mouthwatering meeting between legends of the game.

The Draw That Seemed Like It May Never End

Numerous viewers tuned in eager to discover their team's group stage opponents. But, even though supporters are used to these draws being lengthy, this was extraordinary.

Following performances by Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger, addresses from political leaders and football's governing body, plus countless montages and interviews, it eventually appeared to get going almost 60 minutes later. Or so we thought.

Cue further commentary and entertainment, before the real selection process eventually began around 90 minutes after the glitzy event first kicked off. The selection then required almost an hour to finish.

Moving On to the Actual Football...

Next summer's World Cup will be the biggest in history, with a record 48 teams and a new round of 32. However, this expansion has perhaps led to the initial phase being somewhat weakened in overall strength.

There are very few fixtures between the major nations. The Three Lions' game against Croatia is the most significant on paper. That is the only group fixture featuring two teams ranked in the top 10.

Brazil versus The Atlas Lions is the next best. The Dutch have the most difficult draw by Fifa world rankings, while Die Mannschaft—drawn against Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the weakest. But, compelling contests still await.

A Pair of Prolific Scorers Go Head-to-Head

Generational goalgetter Erling Haaland will make his debut in his first major tournament in the upcoming finals. The Manchester City forward scored 16 times in qualifying matches to drag his country to their first appearance since 1998.

Hardly any have been able to rival the 25-year-old's ridiculous goalscoring feats—but someone who has is set to come up against him in the last match of the group stage. Together with Senegal, The Nordic side have been paired with Kylian Mbappe's France.

This means the top marksmen in the Premier League and Spain's division will go head-to-head for the initial occasion in on the global stage. Anticipate net-bulgers. Plenty of scoring.

A Familiar Foe

El Tri will take on Bafana Bafana in the opening match—repeating history. The sides also opened the 2010 edition. That game, ending 1-1, is most famous for a thunderous second-half strike.

Another eye-catching fixture will see France once more face Senegal, who stunned the reigning title-holders back in 2002. On that first day, a then-unknown player upstaged 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 qualify for the finals for the first time. However, standing in their way are past winners, European champions and South American champions.

In one group, the tiny Caribbean island, the least populous country to ever feature in a World Cup, will meet four-time winners Germany. The island nation, 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 title-holders Argentina and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, The Central Asian team will be led by a former champion against the Portuguese icon's Portugal.

And Then Comes the Playoff Rounds?

Assuming all the favorites progress from their groups, fans may not wait long for the big hitters to meet. The round of 32 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 fixed on the quarter-final stage, where historic adversaries Messi and the Portuguese are set for a potential clash. It would require both Messi's team and Ronaldo's side winning their groups and squeezing through the initial playoffs.

For England, a game against co-hosts Mexico seems the probable first knockout game. 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.