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Next summer's World Cup is at last beginning to seem very real. Although fans can finally start planning their schedules, Friday's ceremony in Washington DC was not short of significant headlines.

Long before the Village People took to the stage with YMCA, we were left analyzing a opening round featuring a showdown between football's top forwards and a knockout stage promising a truly mouthwatering encounter between two greats of the sport.

The Ceremony That Felt Like It May Never End

Numerous viewers tuned in keen to find out their national side's initial fixtures. But, even though supporters are accustomed to such ceremonies being lengthy, this was extraordinary.

Following performances by a pop star and a former Pussycat Doll, speeches from political leaders and football's governing body, plus numerous video packages and interviews, it eventually appeared to begin nearly an hour later. That was an illusion.

Cue more interviews and entertainment, before the real selection process eventually began around 90 minutes after the glitzy event initially started. The selection then required almost an hour to finish.

On to the Actual Football...

The upcoming World Cup will be the largest in history, with a record 48 teams and a new round of 32. However, this expansion has perhaps led to the group stage being somewhat weakened in quality.

There are very few matches between the major nations. England's match with their 2018 semi-final opponents is the biggest on paper. That is the sole opening-round game with two teams ranked in the top 10.

The Selecao versus The Atlas Lions is the second most intriguing. The Dutch have the toughest group by Fifa world rankings, while Die Mannschaft—drawn against Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the easiest on paper. But, interesting matches still await.

A Pair of Prolific Scorers Go Head-to-Head

Generational goalgetter Norway's star will make his debut in his major international competition in the upcoming finals. The Premier League forward scored 16 times in eight matches to single-handedly carry his nation to their first appearance since 1998.

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

This means the top marksmen in the English top flight and La Liga 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 take on Bafana Bafana in the opening match—and not for the first time. The two teams also opened the tournament in South Africa. That game, ending 1-1, is most famous for a rasping goal.

Another eye-catching fixture will see France again come up against Senegal, who stunned the reigning title-holders back in the 2002 World Cup. On that opening night, a then-unknown player upstaged France's cast of star names to score the decisive goal.

Dream Ties for the Debutants

Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Jordan and Curacao have taken advantage of the expanded World Cup to reach the tournament for the first occasion. But, standing in their way are former world champions, continental title-holders and South American champions.

In one group, Curacao, the least populous country to ever play at a World Cup, will take on multiple winners Germany. Cape Verde, with a resident count of around 600,000, will face Euro winners and former champions La Roja.

Jordan, after 40 years of trying, will face defending champions Argentina and the legendary forward. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be guided by a 2006 World Cup winner against the Portuguese icon's Selecao das Quinas.

What About the Playoff Rounds?

If all the top teams make it safely through 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 possible matchup between former champions Germany and France.

On the other side of the bracket, eyes will be drawn to the last eight, where old rivals Messi and Ronaldo are lined up for a potential showdown. It would depend on both Messi's team and Portugal finishing top and squeezing through the initial playoffs.

Regarding the Three Lions, a match with co-hosts Mexico seems the most likely first knockout game. Should Scotland are able to get through, Samurai Blue or the Dutch could be waiting in what would be their first ever World Cup knockout fixture.