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

The upcoming World Cup is finally beginning to seem tangible. While supporters can finally start marking their calendars, Friday's draw in Washington DC was not short of major talking points.

Well before the iconic group performed with their classic hit, we were left analyzing a group stage that includes a clash between football's top strikers and a knockout stage promising a highly anticipated encounter between legends of the game.

The Ceremony That Felt Like It May Never End

Many people tuned in keen to discover their national side's initial fixtures. But, even though supporters are accustomed to such ceremonies being lengthy, this one set a new standard.

Following acts by Robbie Williams and a former Pussycat Doll, addresses from dignitaries and Fifa officials, plus countless video packages and interviews, it finally seemed to get going almost 60 minutes later. Or so we thought.

Cue further commentary and entertainment, before the real selection process finally commenced nearly an hour and a half after the glitzy event initially started. The draw itself then required almost an hour to finish.

Moving On to the Actual Football...

Next summer's World Cup will be the biggest in the competition's history, with a unprecedented number of nations 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. The Three Lions' match with their 2018 semi-final opponents is the most significant theoretically. That is the sole opening-round game featuring two teams inside the world's elite.

The Selecao versus Morocco is the next best. 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.

Two Prolific Scorers Face Off

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

Hardly any have managed to rival the 25-year-old's incredible goalscoring feats—but someone who has is scheduled to face him in the last match of the group stage. Along with Senegal, Norway have been paired with Kylian Mbappe's France.

This means the leading scorers in the Premier League and Spain's division will clash for the initial occasion in international football. Expect net-bulgers. Plenty of scoring.

A Familiar Foe

El Tri will face Bafana Bafana in the first game—and not for the first time. The sides also opened the 2010 edition. That game, ending 1-1, is most famous for a rasping goal.

Another eye-catching fixture will see the French once more face Senegal, who stunned the then-world champions back in the 2002 World Cup. On that first day, a future Fulham midfielder upstaged France's cast of star names to score the winning goal.

Fantasy Fixtures for the First-Timers

Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Jordan and Curacao have taken advantage of the larger World Cup to reach the tournament for the first occasion. But, standing in their way are past winners, European champions and South American champions.

In one group, the tiny Caribbean island, the least populous country to ever feature in a World Cup, will meet four-time winners Die Mannschaft. Cape Verde, with a population of around 600,000, will face Euro winners and former champions Spain.

The Middle Eastern side, after decades of trying, meets title-holders La Albiceleste and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be led by a former champion against the Portuguese icon's Selecao das Quinas.

And Then Comes the Playoff Rounds?

Assuming all the favorites make it safely through 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 possible matchup between former champions the Germans and the French.

On the other side of the bracket, eyes will be drawn to the quarter-final stage, where historic adversaries Messi and Ronaldo are lined up for a potential clash. It would depend on both Messi's team and Portugal finishing top and navigating the early knockout rounds.

For England, a game against co-hosts Mexico seems the probable last-32 tie. And, if Scotland progress, Samurai Blue or the Dutch could await in what would be their first ever World Cup playoff match.