The 2026 World Cup has so far been a delight for many football fans across the globe, with the performances of big players, great underdog stories, and pulsating matches keeping everyone entertained.

The tournament being held in North America has helped grow the sport of football as new audiences are being introduced to the game properly for the first time and falling in love with the spectacle of it all.

Among those to have been enthralled is professional wrestling Superstar and influencer, Logan Paul. The American took to his official X account on Wednesday following Argentina’s dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Egypt in the Round of 16 to share his newfound appreciation for football.

Logan Paul’s Takeaways After Watching World Cup

The American star revealed that watching the majority of the 2026 World Cup has taught him five key things about the beautiful game.

The first thing Paul mentioned that impressed him was the sheer physicality on display in football games and the robustness required to play the sport.

The second aspect of football which has wowed the 31-year-old athlete is the entertainment factor in the sport. This World Cup has produced a number of dramatic contests before even reaching the quarter-final stage, leaving fans in disbelief at times with the almost movie-like turns of events.

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Nathan Ray Seebeck

This has made Paul compare football with the well-known entertainment aspect of professional wrestling, which has helped the sport thrive due to its compelling storylines and scripted material for decades.

Paul then pointed out the uniqueness of penalty kicks in football and how games of such magnitude can dramatically turn due to these isolated moments where the penalty kick taker and goalkeeper are the only individuals involved.

Penalties have proven to be a big factor at this World Cup already, as four knockout ties have been decided through penalty shootouts. This includes Switzerland’s triumph over Colombia in the last of the Round of 16 clashes on Tuesday evening. The European side secured a 4-3 win in the shootout after the game was goalless in the regular 90 minutes plus extra-time.

Paul’s next discovery of football is not necessarily a positive reflection of the game, and more an issue which perhaps stains the game at times.

The wrestling star is in agreement with many football fans that the officiating is not always the best during matches and that can be very detrimental to the team on the opposing end of a bad call.

REUTERS/Paul Childs

Refereeing decisions have been under the microscope at times during the 2026 World Cup. Argentina’s win over Egypt caused the losing side to be irate with the officials due to some of the key calls in the game going against them in their opinion.

Paul’s final observation was a positive one, as he described the unity which is brought as a result of the World Cup taking place. The American is impressed with how lives can be changed by delivering on the world stage.

Paul’s newfound liking for football proves that the sport has new audiences it can still tap into despite already being an obsession and way of life for many across the world.

The World Cup is clearly an event that can take football to even greater levels of popularity and this edition is evidently doing a great job of that based on Paul’s recent comments.

Arsene Wenger has named the only nation that are capable of beating France at the 2026 World Cup.

Didier Deschamps’ side have been imperious in their run to the quarter-finals of the competition.

Despite being put in an extremely tough group alongside Norway, Senegal and Iraq, Les Bleus won all three of their matches, scoring 10 goals in the process.

France then swept aside Sweden in the last 32 as they won 3-0, before defeating Paraguay 1-0 in an ill-tempered affair at Philadelphia Stadium.

France are now just three victories away from becoming world champions for the third time. Next up for Les Bleus is a tricky quarter-final tie against AFCON champions, Morocco.

Arsene Wenger Thinks Only One Team Can Beat France

Kyle Ross (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters)

Joining France in the last eight of the competition are Morocco, Spain, Belgium, Argentina, England, Switzerland and Norway. Of those teams, Arsenal legend Wenger thinks only Spain have the ability to beat France and explained why.

He told Sky Sports, per the Metro: “France will win the World Cup. I know you will say, ‘of course you say that, you’re French’.

“But when you analyse the World Cup, the train goes at a certain pace and you have to be capable of getting on the train.

“For example, the Asian teams have gone out because they could not cope with the intensity and the pace of the games. They did not have enough to technically compete.

“They have quality and a culture of collective football that nobody else in the world has at that level. That could be the decider between these two but of course France is stronger physically.”

France and Spain will meet in the semi-finals of the competition should they beat Morocco and Belgium respectively. France face Morocco on Thursday, while Spain take on Belgium a day later.

Gary Neville Thinks Only Argentina Can Defeat France

Gary Neville via Reuters

Speaking earlier in the tournament, Gary Neville said that he could only see Argentina beating France. He said on ITV:

‘Look, something may emerge. England, Spain, Portugal, we may see a step up. Let’s hope so.’

He added: ‘There’s a long way to go but you look at them now thinking, you’ll have let yourselves down if you don’t win this. Because they’re so far ahead, at the moment, of where the other teams are in terms of level.

“That front four that started the game – they will cause nightmares for every single defender in the tournament and I don’t know how they stop that to be fair. A level above.”

An update has been provided by Norway’s team doctor after the squad were reportedly hit with an issue days before their crunch World Cup quarter-final clash against England.

Norway, inspired by their world-class centre-forward Erling Haaland, secured their spot in the last eight with an eye-catching 2-1 win over five-time champions Brazil at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday night.

Hours later, at the famous Azteca Stadium, England secured a thrilling 3-2 win over Mexico in a contender for the best game of the tournament.

It means Norway and England will go head-to-head for a place in the 2026 World Cup semi-finals, where they will meet either Argentina or Switzerland. Kick-off is scheduled for 10pm (BST), although there are concerns the start time may be delayed again.

Norway Squad ‘Hit by Sickness Bug’

REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

However, it was widely reported on Tuesday that Norway’s players have been affected by a sickness bug ahead of the clash against Thomas Tuchel’s star-studded squad.

Reports claimed several members of Norway’s squad have experienced flu-like symptoms during the tournament, with manager Stale Solbakken confirming that illness had been circulating throughout camp.

Among the players previously affected, according to Norwegian outfit Dagbladet, were striker Jorgen Strand Larsen, who missed Norway’s opener through illness, and defender Marcus Holmgren Pedersen, who missed the Brazil clash after falling sick.

“I had been in the hospital bed for two days straight and was really sick,” Strand Larsen told Nettavisen, per The Metro. “At first you get scared. I woke up the day before the match and felt it a little, and then it was worse than I had imagined. I got ‘FOMO’ [fear of missing out] and thought I wouldn’t be allowed to join.”

Strand Larsen has since recovered, but there are concerns that the sickness bug affecting the squad may not have been fully eradicated.

Norway Doctor Issues Update

REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

However, Norway’s team doctor Ola Sand insists reports of a worrying illness in the camp have been overblown.

He told Nettavisen: “All players are healthy now. Very little fuss considering that we have been close together for almost six weeks.”

Asked about headlines in the English media about the alleged ‘sickness bug’, Sand said:

Meanwhile, Solbakken revealed: “We’ve really only had Jorgen [Strand Larsen] who has had ​a fever, but then there’s been a bit of ​coughing and rasping scattered throughout.

“But there’s air conditioning, flights, changing rooms and all that. There’s 50 people [in Norway’s ​travelling party], so it would be strange if ​something or other didn’t crop up.”

It seems Sand and Solbakken are convinced they will have their strongest team available for arguably the biggest match in the Norwegian national team’s history.