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The upcoming global tournament is at last beginning to seem very real. Although fans can finally start planning their schedules, Friday's ceremony in Washington DC was full of significant headlines.

Well before the Village People performed with YMCA, observers were picking the bones out of a group stage that includes a showdown between two of the world's best forwards and a playoff bracket promising a truly mouthwatering encounter between two greats of the game.

The Ceremony That Felt Like It May Never End

Many people logged on eager to find out their team's initial fixtures. However, even though supporters are accustomed to these draws taking some time, this one set a new standard.

Following acts by Robbie Williams and a former Pussycat Doll, addresses from political leaders and football's governing body, plus countless video packages and interviews, it finally seemed to get going almost 60 minutes later. Or so we thought.

This led to further commentary and performances, before the real selection process finally commenced around 90 minutes after the star-studded show first kicked off. The selection then took 59 minutes to complete.

Moving 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 maybe resulted in the group stage being somewhat weakened in overall strength.

There are very few matches between the traditional powerhouses. The Three Lions' match with their 2018 semi-final opponents is the biggest on paper. That is the only group fixture 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 Germany—grouped with less-fancied opponents—have the weakest. But, interesting matches still await.

Two Prolific Scorers Face Off

Phenomenal striker Norway's star will get a crack at his major international competition next summer. The Premier League forward scored 16 times in qualifying matches to single-handedly carry his country to their first appearance since 1998.

Hardly any have been able to rival the youngster's incredible goalscoring feats—except for one player is scheduled to face him in the last match of group games. Together with The Lions of Teranga, Norway have been paired with Kylian Mbappe's France.

This means the top marksmen in the English top flight and La Liga will clash for the first time in international football. Expect goals. Plenty of scoring.

A Familiar Foe

Mexico will face Bafana Bafana in the first game—and not for the first time. The sides also kicked off the 2010 edition. That game, which finished 1-1, is most famous for a thunderous goal.

Another notable fixture will see the French once more face Senegal, who shocked the then-world champions back in the 2002 World Cup. On that opening night, a future Fulham midfielder outshone France's galaxy of stars to score the decisive goal.

Fantasy Fixtures for the Debutants

Four new nations have taken advantage of the larger World Cup to qualify for the tournament for the first time. But, standing in their way are former world champions, continental title-holders and Copa America winners.

In one group, Curacao, the smallest nation to ever play at a World Cup, will meet multiple winners Germany. Cape Verde, with a resident count of around half a million, will face Euro winners and 2010 World Cup winners La Roja.

Jordan, after decades of trying, meets title-holders La Albiceleste and the legendary forward. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be led by a former champion against Cristiano Ronaldo's Selecao das Quinas.

And Then Comes the Playoff Rounds?

Assuming all the favorites progress from their groups, fans may not wait long for the big hitters to collide. The last 16 is where things could get extremely interesting, most notably with a potential tie between former champions the Germans and the French.

On the opposite half of the draw, eyes will be fixed on the quarter-final stage, where historic adversaries the Argentine and the Portuguese are set for a possible showdown. It would require both Argentina and Ronaldo's side finishing top and navigating the early knockout rounds.

For England, a match with co-hosts Mexico seems the most likely last-32 tie. Should Scotland are able to get through, Samurai Blue or the Dutch could be waiting in what would be their historic World Cup playoff match.