Haaland vs Mbappe, Dream Match-ups and The Village People: The Highlights from the FIFA Draw Ceremony
The upcoming World Cup is finally starting to feel very real. Although fans can finally start marking their calendars, the recent ceremony in Washington DC was full of major talking points.
Long before the Village People performed with YMCA, we were left analyzing a group stage featuring a clash between two of the world's best forwards and a knockout stage that could produce a truly mouthwatering encounter between legends of the sport.
The Draw That Seemed Like It Would Go On Forever
Numerous viewers tuned in keen to find out their national side's group stage fixtures. But, even though supporters are used to these draws being lengthy, this was extraordinary.
Following performances by a pop star and Nicole Scherzinger, speeches from dignitaries and Fifa officials, plus numerous video packages and interviews, it eventually appeared to begin almost 60 minutes later. Or so we thought.
This led to more interviews and performances, before the actual draw 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 Football Itself...
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. Yet, this increase in size has maybe resulted in the group stage being somewhat weakened in quality.
There are hardly any matches between the traditional powerhouses. England's game against Croatia is the most significant theoretically. That is the sole opening-round game with 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 Germany—drawn against Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the easiest on paper. Nevertheless, interesting matches remain.
Two Goal Machines Face Off
Generational goalgetter Norway's star will get a crack at his major international competition in the upcoming finals. The Manchester City striker scored 16 times in qualifying matches to single-handedly carry his nation to their first appearance since 1998.
Hardly any have been able to rival the youngster's ridiculous scoring records—except for one player is scheduled to come up against him in the last match of the group stage. Along with Senegal, Norway have been drawn against Kylian Mbappe's Les Bleus.
This means the top marksmen in the English top flight and Spain's division will clash for the first time in on the global stage. Expect 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 goal.
Another notable group game will see France once more face Senegal, who stunned the then-world champions back in 2002. On that first day, a future Fulham midfielder upstaged France's galaxy of stars to score the winning goal.
Dream Ties for the First-Timers
Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Jordan and Curacao have benefited from the larger World Cup to qualify for the tournament for the first time. But, awaiting them are former world champions, European champions and Copa America winners.
In one group, the tiny Caribbean island, the smallest nation to ever play at a World Cup, will take on multiple winners Germany. Cape Verde, with a population of around 600,000, will face Euro winners and former champions La Roja.
The Middle Eastern side, after 40 years of trying, meets title-holders Argentina and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be guided by a former champion against Cristiano Ronaldo'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 collide. The round of 32 is where things could get really tasty, most notably with a possible matchup between past winners the Germans and France.
On the opposite half of the bracket, eyes will be fixed on the quarter-final stage, where old rivals Messi and the Portuguese are lined up for a possible showdown. It would require both Messi's team and Ronaldo's side finishing top and squeezing through the early knockout rounds.
For England, a match with tournament hosts seems the most likely first knockout game. And, if Scotland are able to get through, Samurai Blue or the Dutch could await in what would be their historic World Cup playoff match.