French star Emmanuel Petit has tipped England to win the World Cup in Japan next year.
The Chelsea midfielder believes that Sven-Goran Eriksson's men will pose the biggest threat to France, the current world and European champions.
He told The Mirror: "It will be very hard for us to win the World Cup because we won't have had any competitive games for two years.
"Of all the teams there I think England will be the biggest threat."
Last weekend England qualified for the finals with a nervous 2-2 draw against Greece at Old Trafford.
And Petit added: "Can England win the World Cup? Yes, of course. I would regard England as one of the strongest teams in the finals. The best team in Europe along with ourselves.
"It's remarkable how far England have come since we played them a year ago." PA