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The upcoming global tournament is finally starting to feel very real. While supporters can finally start marking their calendars, Friday's ceremony in Washington DC was not short of major talking points.

Well before the Village People performed with their classic hit, observers were analyzing a opening round that includes a showdown between two of the world's best forwards and a playoff bracket that could produce a truly mouthwatering meeting between two greats of the sport.

The Ceremony That Seemed Like It May Never End

Numerous viewers tuned in keen to find out their national side's group stage opponents. But, even though fans are accustomed to such ceremonies taking some time, this one set a new standard.

After acts by a pop star and Nicole Scherzinger, addresses from dignitaries and Fifa officials, plus numerous montages and interviews, it finally seemed to begin almost 60 minutes later. Or so we thought.

Cue more interviews and entertainment, before the actual draw finally commenced around 90 minutes after the glitzy event initially started. The draw itself then required almost an hour to complete.

On to the Actual Football...

The upcoming World Cup will be the largest in history, with a unprecedented number of nations and a first-ever additional knockout round. However, this expansion has perhaps led to the group stage being somewhat weakened in quality.

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

Brazil versus Morocco is the next best. The Dutch have the toughest group by official standings, while Die Mannschaft—grouped with Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the easiest on paper. But, interesting matches remain.

Two Prolific Scorers Go Head-to-Head

Phenomenal striker Erling Haaland will make his debut in his major international competition in the upcoming finals. The Premier League striker scored 16 times in eight matches to drag his country to their first appearance since 1998.

Hardly any have managed to come close to the 25-year-old's incredible scoring records—except for one player is set to face him in the last match of the group stage. Together with The Lions of Teranga, Norway have been paired with Kylian Mbappe's Les Bleus.

This means the leading scorers in the Premier League and Spain's division will go head-to-head for the first time in on the global stage. Anticipate goals. Lots of goals.

We Meet Again

El Tri will face South Africa in the opening match—repeating history. The sides also opened the 2010 edition. That game, ending 1-1, is most famous for a rasping goal.

Another eye-catching group game will see the French again come up against Senegal, who shocked the reigning title-holders back in 2002. On that first day, a then-unknown player outshone France's cast of star names to score the decisive goal.

Dream Ties for the First-Timers

Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Jordan and Curacao have taken advantage of the expanded World Cup to qualify for the finals for the first occasion. But, awaiting them are former world champions, European champions and Copa America winners.

In one group, Curacao, the smallest nation to ever feature in a World Cup, will meet four-time winners Die Mannschaft. Cape Verde, with a resident count of around half a million, will face European champions and 2010 World Cup winners La Roja.

Jordan, after 40 years of trying, meets title-holders Argentina and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, The Central Asian team will be guided by a former champion against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.

And Then Comes the Playoff Rounds?

If all the favorites progress from their groups, we shouldn't have to wait for the big hitters to collide. 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 the Argentine and Ronaldo are set for a potential showdown. It would require both Messi's team and Ronaldo's side winning their groups and navigating the initial playoffs.

For England, a game against co-hosts Mexico seems the most likely first knockout game. And, if the Scots are able to get through, Samurai Blue or the Netherlands could be waiting in what would be their historic World Cup playoff match.