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The upcoming World Cup is finally starting to feel tangible. Although fans are now able to begin marking their calendars, Friday's ceremony in Washington DC was not short of major talking points.

Long before the Village People took to the stage with their classic hit, we were left picking the bones out of a opening round that includes a clash between football's top strikers and a playoff bracket promising a highly anticipated meeting between two greats of the sport.

The Ceremony That Felt Like It Would Go On Forever

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

Following performances by a pop star and a former Pussycat Doll, speeches from political leaders and Fifa officials, plus countless montages and interviews, it finally seemed to get going almost 60 minutes later. Or so we thought.

This led to more interviews and performances, before the real selection process finally commenced around 90 minutes after the star-studded show initially started. The selection then took 59 minutes to complete.

On to the Football Itself...

The upcoming World Cup will be the largest in the competition's history, with a unprecedented number of nations and a new round of 32. However, this expansion has perhaps led to the initial phase being slightly diluted in quality.

There are very few matches between the traditional powerhouses. The Three Lions' match with their 2018 semi-final opponents is the most significant on paper. That is the sole opening-round game with two teams inside the world's elite.

Brazil versus The Atlas Lions is the second most intriguing. The Dutch have the toughest group by Fifa world rankings, while Die Mannschaft—grouped with Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the weakest. But, compelling contests still await.

A Pair of Goal Machines Face Off

Phenomenal striker Norway's star will get a crack at his major international competition in the upcoming finals. The Manchester City forward scored 16 times in eight matches to single-handedly carry his country to their first appearance since 1998.

Hardly any have managed to rival the 25-year-old's ridiculous goalscoring feats—except for one player is set to come up against him in the last match of the group stage. Together with The Lions of Teranga, Norway have been drawn against Kylian Mbappe's Les Bleus.

This means the leading scorers in the Premier League and Spain's division will clash for the initial occasion in on the global stage. Anticipate goals. Lots of goals.

A Familiar Foe

El Tri will take on Bafana Bafana in the first game—repeating history. The two teams also kicked off the 2010 edition. That game, which finished 1-1, is most famous for a rasping goal.

Another notable group game will see the French again come up against the Senegalese, who stunned 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 Debutants

Four new nations have taken advantage of the larger World Cup to qualify for the finals for the first occasion. However, awaiting them are past winners, continental title-holders and South American champions.

In one group, Curacao, the smallest nation to ever play at a World Cup, will take on four-time winners Die Mannschaft. The island nation, with a resident count of around half a million, will face European champions and 2010 World Cup winners La Roja.

The Middle Eastern side, after 40 years of trying, will face title-holders Argentina and the legendary forward. Meanwhile, The Central Asian team will be guided 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 heavyweights to meet. The last 16 is where things could get extremely interesting, most notably with a potential tie between past winners the Germans and the French.

On the other side of the bracket, eyes will be fixed on the last eight, where historic adversaries the Argentine and the Portuguese are set for a potential showdown. It would depend on both Argentina and Portugal finishing top and squeezing through the early knockout rounds.

For England, a match with tournament hosts seems the probable first knockout game. Should the Scots progress, Japan or the Dutch could await in what would be their historic World Cup knockout fixture.