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

Next summer's World Cup is at last beginning to seem very real. Although supporters can finally start marking their calendars, the recent draw in the US capital was not short of major talking points.

Well before the Village People performed with YMCA, we were left picking the bones out of a opening round featuring a showdown between two of the world's best strikers and a playoff bracket that could produce a truly mouthwatering meeting between two greats of the sport.

The Ceremony That Felt Like It Would Go On Forever

Many people tuned in keen to discover their team's group stage fixtures. However, even though fans are accustomed to these draws being lengthy, this was extraordinary.

Following acts by Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger, addresses from political leaders and football's governing body, plus countless montages and interviews, it finally seemed to get going nearly an hour later. That was an illusion.

This led to further commentary and entertainment, before the actual draw finally commenced nearly an hour and a half after the glitzy event initially started. The selection then required almost an hour to complete.

Moving On to the Actual Football...

Next summer's tournament will be the biggest in history, with a record 48 teams and a first-ever additional knockout round. Yet, this increase in size has perhaps led to the initial phase being somewhat weakened in overall strength.

There are hardly any fixtures between the major nations. England's match with their 2018 semi-final opponents is the most significant theoretically. That is the only group fixture with two teams inside the world's elite.

The Selecao versus Morocco 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 easiest on paper. But, compelling contests still await.

A Pair of Goal Machines Go Head-to-Head

Phenomenal striker Norway's star will get a crack at his major international competition in the upcoming finals. The Premier League striker scored 16 times in qualifying matches to drag his nation to their initial berth since 1998.

Hardly any have managed to come close to the 25-year-old's ridiculous goalscoring feats—except for one player is set to face him in the final round of group games. Together with Senegal, The Nordic side have been drawn against the French superstar'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. Expect net-bulgers. Plenty of scoring.

We Meet Again

Mexico will take on Bafana Bafana in the first game—repeating history. The two teams also opened the tournament in South Africa. That match, ending 1-1, is most famous for a thunderous goal.

Another eye-catching fixture will see the French once more face Senegal, who stunned the reigning title-holders back in 2002. On that opening night, a then-unknown player upstaged France's galaxy of stars to score the winning goal.

Fantasy Fixtures for the Debutants

Four new nations have benefited from the expanded World Cup to reach the tournament for the first occasion. But, standing in their way are past winners, 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 Germany. The island nation, with a population 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 defending champions Argentina and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be guided by a former champion against the Portuguese icon's Portugal.

And Then Comes the Knockout Stage?

If all the favorites progress from their groups, we shouldn't have to wait for the heavyweights to collide. The last 16 is where things could get really tasty, most notably with a potential tie between past winners Germany and France.

On the opposite half of the bracket, eyes will be drawn to the quarter-final stage, where old rivals Messi and the Portuguese are set for a potential showdown. It would depend on both Argentina and Ronaldo's side winning their groups and navigating the early knockout rounds.

Regarding the Three Lions, a match with co-hosts Mexico seems the probable last-32 tie. Should the Scots progress, Japan or the Dutch could await in what would be their first ever World Cup playoff match.