Mbappe vs Haaland, Fantasy Fixtures and YMCA: Key Moments from the World Cup Draw

Next summer's global tournament is finally beginning to seem very real. Although fans can finally start marking their calendars, the recent ceremony in Washington DC was not short of major talking points.

Well before the iconic group took to the stage with YMCA, observers were analyzing a group stage that includes a showdown between two of the world's best forwards and a playoff bracket that could produce a truly mouthwatering encounter between legends of the sport.

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 accustomed to such ceremonies being lengthy, this was extraordinary.

After acts by a pop star and Nicole Scherzinger, addresses from dignitaries and football's governing body, plus numerous video packages and interviews, it finally seemed to begin almost 60 minutes later. Or so we thought.

Cue more interviews and performances, before the actual draw finally commenced around 90 minutes after the star-studded show initially started. The selection then took 59 minutes to complete.

On to the Actual Football...

The upcoming tournament will be the biggest in the competition's 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 very few fixtures between the major nations. England's match with Croatia is the biggest theoretically. That is the sole opening-round game with two teams inside the world's elite.

The Selecao versus Morocco is the next best. The Netherlands 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 get a crack at his major international competition in the upcoming finals. The Premier League striker netted 16 goals in qualifying matches to drag his country to their initial berth since 1998.

Hardly any have managed to come close to the 25-year-old's ridiculous scoring records—except for one player is scheduled to face him in the final round of the group stage. Together with Senegal, The Nordic side have been drawn against the French superstar's Les Bleus.

This means the leading scorers in the English top flight and Spain's division will clash for the first time in international football. Expect goals. Lots of goals.

We Meet Again

El Tri will face Bafana Bafana in the first game—repeating history. The sides also opened the tournament in South Africa. That match, which finished 1-1, is most famous for a thunderous goal.

Another eye-catching group game will see the French once more face the Senegalese, who shocked the then-world champions back in the 2002 World Cup. On that first day, a then-unknown player upstaged France's cast of star names to score the winning goal.

Fantasy Fixtures for the First-Timers

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

In one group, Curacao, the least populous country to ever play at a World Cup, will take on four-time winners Germany. The island nation, with a population of around half a million, will face Euro winners and former champions La Roja.

The Middle Eastern side, after decades of trying, meets defending champions La Albiceleste and the legendary forward. Meanwhile, The Central Asian team will be guided by a 2006 World Cup winner against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.

What About the Knockout Stage?

If all the top teams progress from their groups, we shouldn't have to wait for the big hitters to meet. The last 16 is where things could get really tasty, most notably with a potential tie between past winners the Germans and France.

On the other side of the draw, eyes will be fixed on the quarter-final stage, where old rivals Messi and Ronaldo are set for a possible clash. It would depend on both Argentina and Ronaldo's side winning their groups and squeezing through the initial playoffs.

Regarding the Three Lions, a game against tournament hosts seems the probable last-32 tie. And, if the Scots progress, Samurai Blue or the Netherlands could await in what would be their first ever World Cup playoff match.