Haaland vs Mbappe, Fantasy Fixtures and The Village People: Key Moments from the World Cup Draw

The upcoming global tournament is at last starting to feel very real. While fans can finally start planning their schedules, the recent draw in Washington DC was not short of major talking points.

Long before the Village People took to the stage with YMCA, observers were picking the bones out of a group stage that includes a clash between football's top forwards and a knockout stage that could produce a truly mouthwatering meeting between legends of the sport.

The Ceremony That Seemed Like It Would Go On Forever

Many people tuned in keen to find out their national side's initial opponents. However, even though fans are used to these draws being lengthy, this was extraordinary.

After performances by Robbie Williams and a former Pussycat Doll, speeches from political leaders and Fifa officials, plus countless video packages and interviews, it finally seemed to get going nearly an hour later. That was an illusion.

This led to further commentary and performances, before the real selection process finally commenced nearly an hour and a half after the glitzy event first kicked off. The draw itself then took 59 minutes to complete.

On to the Football Itself...

The upcoming World Cup will be the biggest in the competition's history, with a record 48 teams and a new round of 32. However, this expansion has maybe resulted in the group stage being slightly diluted in overall strength.

There are very few fixtures between the major nations. England's match with Croatia is the most significant on paper. That is the only group fixture with two teams ranked in the top 10.

Brazil versus The Atlas Lions is the next best. The Dutch have the toughest group by Fifa world rankings, while Die Mannschaft—grouped with less-fancied opponents—have the weakest. But, compelling contests still await.

A Pair of Goal Machines Go Head-to-Head

Phenomenal striker Norway's star will make his debut in his major international competition in the upcoming finals. The Manchester City striker scored 16 times in qualifying matches to single-handedly carry his country to their first appearance since 1998.

Hardly any have managed to rival the youngster's incredible scoring records—but someone who has is scheduled to come up against him in the last match of the group stage. Together with The Lions of Teranga, The Nordic side have been drawn against Kylian Mbappe's Les Bleus.

This means the leading scorers in the English top flight and Spain's division will clash for the initial occasion in international football. Anticipate net-bulgers. Plenty of scoring.

A Familiar Foe

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

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

Dream Ties for the Debutants

Four new nations have benefited from the larger World Cup to qualify for 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 least populous country to ever play at a World Cup, will meet multiple winners Germany. Cape Verde, with a resident count of around 600,000, will face Euro winners and former champions La Roja.

The Middle Eastern side, after decades of trying, will face title-holders La Albiceleste and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, The Central Asian team will be led by a 2006 World Cup winner against Cristiano Ronaldo's Selecao das Quinas.

And Then Comes the Playoff Rounds?

If all the top teams progress from their groups, we shouldn't have to wait for the big hitters to collide. The round of 32 is where things could get extremely interesting, most notably with a possible matchup between past winners the Germans and France.

On the other side of the draw, eyes will be fixed on the last eight, where historic adversaries Messi and Ronaldo are lined up for a possible clash. It would depend on both Argentina and Portugal winning their groups and squeezing through the early knockout rounds.

For England, a game against tournament hosts seems the probable first knockout game. And, if the Scots are able to get through, Japan or the Dutch could await in what would be their historic World Cup knockout fixture.