Next summer's global tournament is at last beginning to seem tangible. Although fans are now able to begin planning their schedules, Friday's draw in Washington DC was not short of significant headlines.
Long before the iconic group took to the stage with their classic hit, observers were analyzing a opening round featuring a clash between football's top strikers and a knockout stage that could produce a truly mouthwatering meeting between two greats of the sport.
Many people tuned in eager to find out their team's group stage opponents. However, despite the fact supporters are accustomed to these draws taking some time, this one set a new standard.
After performances by a pop star and Nicole Scherzinger, addresses from dignitaries and football's governing body, plus numerous montages and interviews, it eventually appeared to begin nearly an hour later. Or so we thought.
Cue more interviews and entertainment, before the actual draw finally commenced around 90 minutes after the star-studded show initially started. The selection then took 59 minutes to complete.
The upcoming tournament will be the largest in history, with a record 48 teams and a first-ever additional knockout round. However, this expansion has maybe resulted in the initial phase being somewhat weakened in quality.
There are hardly any matches between the traditional powerhouses. England's match with Croatia is the biggest theoretically. That is the only group fixture featuring two teams ranked in the top 10.
The Selecao versus The Atlas Lions is the next best. The Dutch have the most difficult draw by Fifa world rankings, while Germany—drawn against Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao—have the weakest. But, compelling contests remain.
Generational goalgetter Norway's star will make his debut in his major international competition in the upcoming finals. The Manchester City striker scored 16 times in eight matches to drag his nation to their initial berth since 1998.
Few have been able to come close to the youngster's incredible scoring records—except for one player is set to come up against him in the last match of group games. Together with Senegal, The Nordic side have been paired with Kylian Mbappe's France.
This means the top marksmen in the Premier League and La Liga will clash for the first time in international football. Expect net-bulgers. Plenty of scoring.
El Tri will take on South Africa in the opening match—repeating history. The sides also kicked off the 2010 edition. That game, which finished 1-1, is most famous for a thunderous goal.
Another notable group game will see France again come up against Senegal, who stunned the reigning title-holders back in the 2002 World Cup. On that opening night, a then-unknown player upstaged France's cast of star names to score the winning goal.
Four new nations have taken advantage of the expanded World Cup to reach the tournament for the first time. However, 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 take on four-time winners Die Mannschaft. Cape Verde, with a population of around 600,000, will face European champions and former champions Spain.
Jordan, after decades of trying, will face title-holders La Albiceleste and Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan will be guided by a former champion against the Portuguese icon's Selecao das Quinas.
If all the favorites make it safely through their groups, fans may not wait long for the big hitters to meet. The last 16 is where things could get extremely interesting, most notably with a potential tie between past winners the Germans and the French.
On the other side of the draw, eyes will be fixed on the last eight, where historic adversaries Messi and the Portuguese are set for a potential showdown. It would depend on both Messi's team and Portugal finishing top and squeezing through the initial playoffs.
Regarding the Three Lions, a match with co-hosts Mexico seems the most likely first knockout game. Should the Scots are able to get through, Japan or the Dutch could be waiting in what would be their historic World Cup knockout fixture.
Mira is a seasoned gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in the online casino industry, specializing in slot mechanics and player strategies.
