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Next summer's global tournament is finally beginning to seem tangible. Although supporters are now able to begin planning their schedules, Friday's draw in Washington DC was not short of major talking points.

Well before the iconic group took to the stage with YMCA, we were left picking the bones out of a group stage that includes a clash between two of the world's best strikers and a playoff bracket that could produce a truly mouthwatering meeting between legends of the sport.

The Ceremony That Seemed Like It May Never End

Numerous viewers logged on keen to discover their national side's group stage opponents. However, despite the fact fans are used to these draws taking some time, this one set a new standard.

Following acts by Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger, speeches from dignitaries and football's governing body, plus countless video packages and interviews, it eventually appeared to get going almost 60 minutes later. Or so we thought.

Cue further commentary and performances, before the real selection process finally commenced nearly an hour and a half after the star-studded show initially started. The draw itself then took 59 minutes to finish.

Moving On to the Actual Football...

The upcoming World Cup will be the largest in the competition's history, with a unprecedented number of nations and a first-ever additional knockout round. However, this increase in size has maybe resulted in the initial phase being slightly diluted in quality.

There are hardly any matches between the major nations. The Three Lions' game against Croatia is the most significant 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 Germany—drawn against less-fancied opponents—have the easiest on paper. But, interesting matches remain.

A Pair of Goal Machines Face Off

Generational goalgetter Norway's star will make his debut in his major international competition in the upcoming finals. The Premier League striker netted 16 goals in qualifying matches to drag his country to their initial berth since 1998.

Few have been able to come close to the youngster's ridiculous goalscoring feats—but someone who has is set to come up against him in the final round of the group stage. Together with Senegal, The Nordic side have been paired with the French superstar's Les Bleus.

This means the leading scorers in the English top flight and La Liga will go head-to-head for the first time in international football. Anticipate goals. Lots of goals.

A Familiar Foe

El Tri will take on Bafana Bafana in the opening match—and not for the first time. The sides also kicked off the tournament in South Africa. That match, which finished 1-1, is most famous for a thunderous goal.

Another eye-catching group game will see France once more face the Senegalese, who stunned the reigning title-holders back in 2002. On that first day, a future Fulham midfielder upstaged France's cast of star names to score the winning goal.

Dream Ties for the First-Timers

Four new nations have benefited from the larger World Cup to reach the tournament for the first occasion. However, standing in their way are past winners, continental title-holders and Copa America winners.

In one group, the tiny Caribbean island, the least populous country to ever play at a World Cup, will meet multiple winners Die Mannschaft. The island nation, with a population of around 600,000, will face European champions and 2010 World Cup winners La Roja.

Jordan, after decades of trying, meets defending champions La Albiceleste and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, The Central Asian team will be led by a former champion against the Portuguese icon's Portugal.

And Then Comes the Knockout Stage?

Assuming all the top teams make it safely through their groups, we shouldn't have to wait for the big hitters to meet. The round of 32 is where things could get really tasty, most notably with a possible matchup between past winners the Germans and the French.

On the opposite half of the draw, eyes will be drawn to the quarter-final stage, where old rivals Messi and Ronaldo are lined up for a potential clash. It would depend on both Argentina and Ronaldo's side finishing top and squeezing through the initial playoffs.

Regarding the Three Lions, a game against tournament hosts seems the probable first knockout game. Should the Scots progress, Samurai Blue or the Netherlands could be waiting in what would be their first ever World Cup playoff match.