Hernan Crespo said England were good enough to win the World Cup after they beat his Argentina side 3-2 in a dramatic friendly on Saturday.
Two late headers from striker Michael Owen turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 victory for England and Chelsea striker Crespo said: "I was impressed by everybody in the England team.
"And when I saw (Chelsea midfielder) Joe Cole coming on as a substitute I realised how many great players England have.
"England are good enough to win the World Cup, not just for tonight but because they have great players. They are a great team with a great manager. For me they are one of the favourites to win the World Cup."
Crespo, who scored the opening goal in Geneva, said Argentina also had the potential to succeed in Germany next year despite a morale-sapping defeat.
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"We didn't deserve to lose this match but it's normal when you play against a great team you have to be careful in the last minutes.
"I think it was a great match. England won but maybe we could have won too. A draw would have been the best, but when you play against a great team anything can happen."
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