The stage is now set. With the World Cup draw concluding on Friday in Doha, Qatar, we're now aware of which countries will be playing each other in the group stages. There is a variety of intriguing clashes ahead, with favorites Brazil actually landing in a group they should have no problem winning.

Here are the groups in full:

That being said, here are 3 takeaways from the World Cup draw.

3 takeaways from the World Cup draw

England should secure top spot in their group

The Three Lions have typically been a disappointment on the world stage. Sure, they made the Euro final last summer on home soil, but England bowed out in the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup and failed to make the knockouts in the 2014 edition. Nevertheless, Gareth Southgate's men are brimming with quality from front to back. Led by Tottenham talisman Harry Kane, England is a very good squad and breezed through qualifying.

Joining them in Group B are Iran, USA, and either Scotland, Ukraine, or Wales. To be frank, based on the talent the Three Lions possess, they shouldn't have any issues winning every game. It will likely not go that way, especially given their dismal history against the States, but Southgate couldn't have asked for a better group.

Also, for the Round of 16, if England finished first, the Three Lions would play the runner-up of Group A in the World Cup knockouts, which is likely going to be Senegal or the Netherlands. Not an easy match either, but the Brits should certainly find themselves in the quarterfinals, at the very least. That's if they don't fail to live up to expectations like so many years past.

Brazil is certainly a favorite

The Brazilians absolutely ripped through CONMEBOL qualifying, going unbeaten in 17 games. In the process, Tite's side scored 40 goals and conceded just five. Talk about world-class. Brazil currently has the best odds to win the World Cup, which is no surprise. If you thought England's squad was talented, Selecao is just as impressive, if not more. From Neymar to Thiago Silva to Gabriel Jesus, Tite has a massive squad to choose from. There is a boatload of quality in the final third and defensively, Silva and Marquinhos are solid as any. You also have rising stars such as Antony, Vinicius Junior, and veterans like Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino. This could be the most individually gifted team in the entire World Cup.

Brazil's group consists of Serbia, Switzerland, and Cameroon. They actually were in the same pod as the Swiss in 2018 in Russia, playing to a 1-1 draw. Serbia is a decent team, but they won't be able to keep up with the Brazilians. Cameroon is back on the big stage but again, Brazil should have no problems beating them as well.

As for their path to a potential final, Selecao could face a variety of different teams in the Round of 16, including Croatia, Spain, or Germany. They've failed to get past the semifinal stage since 2002 when Brazil last won the World Cup. With Neymar likely heading into his last tournament and the squad in top form, the Brazilians cannot be taken lightly. They're truly capable of beating anybody in the World Cup, even a France or Spain.

Messi vs Ronaldo final is possible

Two legends of the sport, this will most likely be the last World Cup for both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. At 35 and 37, respectively, the Argentina and Portugal stars are certainly hungry to capture the one piece of hardware neither has managed to in their illustrious careers.

Argentina and Portugal both ended up as top seeds in Group C and H, which means they'll end up on opposite sides of the bracket in the knockout stages. However, if both teams win their pods, this is what a path to the final would look like.

The Argentines would probably face Denmark, Netherlands, and Spain, in that order, in the Round of 16, quarterfinals, and semifinals. As for the Portuguese, their road would be slightly tougher, clashing with Switzerland, Belgium, and France before potentially meeting Argentina in the showpiece.

Again, this is based on who should be winning in each group and/or knockout games in the World Cup. It's definitely a long shot, but to see Messi and Ronaldo face off one more time on the biggest stage in football would be an absolute thrill. Unfortunately, this is the only way they'd clash. Because of how the groups are set up, the final is the only scenario.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar officially begins on November 21st, with the grand finale scheduled for December 18th in Lusail, which is 23 kilometers from Doha. The biggest sporting event in the world can't come soon enough.