🔗 Share this article

Next summer's World Cup is finally beginning to seem very real. Although supporters are now able to begin marking their calendars, Friday's draw in Washington DC was full of major talking points.

Long before the Village People took to the stage with their classic hit, we were left analyzing a group stage that includes a showdown between two of the world's best forwards and a playoff bracket promising a highly anticipated encounter between legends of the game.

The Draw That Seemed Like It Would Go On Forever

Numerous viewers logged on eager to discover their national side's group stage fixtures. However, even though supporters are used to such ceremonies being lengthy, this one set a new standard.

After acts by a pop star and Nicole Scherzinger, addresses from dignitaries and football's governing body, plus countless video packages and interviews, it eventually appeared to get going nearly an hour later. That was an illusion.

Cue more interviews and entertainment, before the real selection process eventually began nearly an hour and a half after the star-studded show first kicked off. The draw itself then took 59 minutes to complete.

On to the Football Itself...

Next summer's World Cup will be the largest in history, with a unprecedented number of nations and a new round of 32. However, this expansion has maybe resulted in the group stage being somewhat weakened in overall strength.

There are hardly any fixtures between the major nations. England's match with Croatia is the most significant on paper. That is the only group fixture featuring 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 Germany—grouped with less-fancied opponents—have the weakest. Nevertheless, interesting matches still await.

Two Goal Machines Go Head-to-Head

Phenomenal striker Norway's star will make his debut in his first major tournament next summer. The Premier League striker scored 16 times in qualifying matches to drag his country to their first appearance since 1998.

Few have been able to come close to the youngster's incredible goalscoring feats—but someone who has is scheduled to come up against him in the last match of the group stage. Along with Senegal, The Nordic side have been drawn against Kylian Mbappe's France.

This means the top marksmen in the Premier League and La Liga will go head-to-head for the initial occasion in international football. Expect goals. Lots of goals.

A Familiar Foe

El Tri will face Bafana Bafana in the first game—and not for the first time. The two teams also kicked off the 2010 edition. That match, ending 1-1, is most famous for a thunderous goal.

Another notable 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 opening night, a future Fulham midfielder outshone France's cast of star names to score the winning goal.

Dream Ties for the First-Timers

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

In one group, the tiny Caribbean island, the smallest nation to ever play at a World Cup, will take on multiple winners Die Mannschaft. Cape Verde, with a resident count of around 600,000, will face European champions and former champions Spain.

The Middle Eastern side, after decades of trying, meets title-holders Argentina and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be guided by a 2006 World Cup winner against the Portuguese icon's Selecao das Quinas.

And Then Comes the Playoff Rounds?

If all the favorites progress from their groups, fans may not wait long for the heavyweights to collide. The round of 32 is where things could get really tasty, most notably with a potential tie between past winners the Germans and the French.

On the opposite half of the bracket, eyes will be fixed on the quarter-final stage, where historic adversaries Messi and Ronaldo are set for a potential showdown. It would require both Messi's team and Portugal finishing top and navigating the initial playoffs.

Regarding the Three Lions, a game against co-hosts Mexico seems the probable first knockout game. And, if Scotland are able to get through, Japan or the Netherlands could be waiting in what would be their historic World Cup knockout fixture.