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The upcoming World Cup is at last starting to feel tangible. Although fans are now able to begin marking their calendars, Friday's ceremony in the US capital was not short of significant headlines.

Long before the Village People performed with their classic hit, we were left analyzing a group stage that includes a showdown between two of the world's best strikers and a knockout stage promising a truly mouthwatering meeting between legends of the game.

The Ceremony That Seemed Like It Would Go On Forever

Many people tuned in keen to find out their team's initial opponents. But, despite the fact supporters are used to these draws being lengthy, this one set a new standard.

After performances by a pop star and a former Pussycat Doll, addresses from dignitaries and Fifa officials, plus countless video packages and discussions, it finally seemed to get going nearly an hour later. That was an illusion.

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

Moving On to the Football Itself...

The upcoming World Cup will be the largest in history, with a unprecedented number of nations and a new round of 32. Yet, this increase in size has maybe resulted in the initial phase being slightly diluted in overall strength.

There are very few matches between the major nations. England's match with Croatia is the most significant on paper. That is the only group fixture with two teams ranked in the top 10.

The Selecao versus Morocco is the next best. The Dutch have the toughest group by Fifa world rankings, while Germany—grouped with less-fancied opponents—have the weakest. But, interesting matches still await.

Two Goal Machines Go Head-to-Head

Generational goalgetter Erling Haaland will get a crack at his major international competition in the upcoming finals. The Manchester City forward netted 16 goals in eight matches to drag his nation to their first appearance since 1998.

Hardly any have been able to rival the 25-year-old's incredible goalscoring feats—except for one player is set to come up against him in the final round of the group stage. Along with Senegal, The Nordic side have been paired with Kylian Mbappe's France.

This means the leading scorers in the English top flight and La Liga will go head-to-head for the initial occasion in international football. Expect net-bulgers. Lots of goals.

We Meet Again

El Tri will take on Bafana Bafana in the first game—repeating history. The sides also opened the tournament in South Africa. That game, ending 1-1, is most famous for a thunderous second-half strike.

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

Fantasy Fixtures for the Debutants

Four new nations have benefited from the larger World Cup to qualify for the tournament for the first time. However, awaiting them are past winners, continental title-holders and South American champions.

In one group, Curacao, the least populous country to ever feature in a World Cup, will meet four-time winners Die Mannschaft. The island nation, with a resident count of around half a million, will face Euro winners and former champions Spain.

The Middle Eastern side, after 40 years of trying, will face defending champions La Albiceleste and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be led by a former champion against the Portuguese icon's Selecao das Quinas.

What About the Knockout Stage?

If all the favorites make it safely through their groups, we shouldn't have to wait for the heavyweights to meet. The round of 32 is where things could get really tasty, most notably with a possible matchup between former champions the Germans and the French.

On the other side of the draw, eyes will be drawn to the last eight, where historic adversaries Messi and Ronaldo are set for a potential clash. It would require both Argentina and Portugal winning their groups and navigating the early knockout rounds.

Regarding the Three Lions, a game against tournament hosts seems the probable first knockout game. Should Scotland are able to get through, Samurai Blue or the Netherlands could be waiting in what would be their historic World Cup playoff match.