"Long before the Village People took to the stage to sing us out with a rendition of YMCA, we were left picking the bones out of a group stage which will see two of the world's best strikers go head-to-head and a knockout stage which could produce a truly mouthwatering meeting between two greats of the game. Are you excited yet?"
"After performances by Robbie Williams and former Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger, speeches from US President Donald Trump and Fifa counterpart Gianni Infantino, plus numerous montages, cutaways and interviews, it finally seemed to get going at 17:55 GMT. Or so we thought. Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney joined Trump on stage to pick their respective countries, as co-hosts, out of the hat. But this was not new news."
Next summer's World Cup will be the biggest in the competition's history, expanding to a record 48 teams. Fans of the home nations can begin planning travel and group-stage routes. The Washington DC draw featured high-profile performances by Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger, speeches from US President Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino, and appearances by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. The televised ceremony was lengthy, marked by numerous montages, interviews and delays before the actual draw began nearly 90 minutes after the show started. The draw process itself lasted 59 minutes and prompted commentary about its slow pace.
Read at www.bbc.com
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