🔗 Share this article

Next summer's global tournament is at last beginning to seem very real. Although supporters are now able to begin marking their calendars, Friday's draw in Washington DC was full of significant headlines.

Long before the iconic group took to the stage with their classic hit, observers were picking the bones out of a opening round featuring a showdown between two of the world's best forwards and a playoff bracket promising a highly anticipated encounter between legends of the sport.

The Draw That Seemed Like It May Never End

Numerous viewers tuned in keen to find out their team's group stage opponents. However, even though supporters are accustomed to such ceremonies taking some time, this one set a new standard.

After acts by Robbie Williams and a former Pussycat Doll, speeches from political leaders and football's governing body, plus numerous video packages and interviews, it eventually appeared to begin nearly an hour later. Or so we thought.

This led to further commentary and performances, before the real selection process eventually began around 90 minutes after the glitzy event initially started. The draw itself then took 59 minutes to complete.

On to the Football Itself...

The upcoming World Cup will be the largest in history, with a record 48 teams and a new round of 32. Yet, this increase in size has maybe resulted in the initial phase being somewhat weakened in quality.

There are very few fixtures between the traditional powerhouses. England's game against their 2018 semi-final opponents is the biggest theoretically. That is the only group fixture with two teams ranked in the top 10.

The Selecao versus The Atlas Lions is the second most intriguing. The Netherlands have the toughest group by Fifa world rankings, while Die Mannschaft—drawn against less-fancied opponents—have the easiest on paper. Nevertheless, interesting matches still await.

A Pair of Goal Machines Go Head-to-Head

Generational goalgetter Erling Haaland will get a crack at his major international competition next summer. The Premier League forward netted 16 goals in eight matches to single-handedly carry his nation to their first appearance since 1998.

Hardly any have managed to rival the youngster's ridiculous goalscoring feats—but someone who has is set to come up against him in the last match of the group stage. Together with The Lions of Teranga, Norway have been paired with the French superstar's France.

This means the leading scorers in the English top flight and La Liga will clash for the initial occasion in international football. Expect net-bulgers. Lots of goals.

We Meet Again

Mexico will face Bafana Bafana in the opening match—repeating history. The two teams also kicked off the tournament in South Africa. That game, which finished 1-1, is most famous for a rasping second-half strike.

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

Fantasy Fixtures for the Debutants

Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Jordan and Curacao have taken advantage of the expanded World Cup to qualify for the finals for the first occasion. However, standing in their way are former world champions, continental title-holders and South American champions.

In one group, Curacao, the least populous country to ever play at a World Cup, will take on four-time winners Die Mannschaft. Cape Verde, with a resident count of around 600,000, will face Euro winners and 2010 World Cup winners La Roja.

Jordan, after decades of trying, meets title-holders Argentina and the legendary forward. Meanwhile, The Central Asian team will be led by a 2006 World Cup winner against the Portuguese icon's Portugal.

And Then Comes the Knockout Stage?

Assuming all the top teams progress from their groups, we shouldn't have to wait for the big hitters to meet. The last 16 is where things could get really tasty, most notably with a potential tie between former champions the Germans and France.

On the opposite half of the draw, eyes will be fixed on the quarter-final stage, where historic adversaries the Argentine and Ronaldo are set for a potential clash. It would depend on both Argentina and Ronaldo's side winning their groups and navigating the early knockout rounds.

For England, a game against tournament hosts seems the probable last-32 tie. And, if the Scots are able to get through, Samurai Blue or the Dutch could be waiting in what would be their historic World Cup knockout fixture.