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Former England international Rio Ferdinand has named France, Brazil and Argentina as the favorites to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The tournament kicks off in just 13 days, and many have predicted who will come out victorious come the final on 18 December.
Ferdinand earned 81 caps during his days with the Three Lions but did not name England as one of the frontrunners for the golden trophy.
Instead, he went with Didier Deschamps' France, the reigning champions, having won the FIFA World Cup in 2018.
The Manchester United legend began by explaining his reasons for not backing England (via Metro):
"I worry about [England] defensively, the injuries and players not playing enough for their clubs."
Ferdinand then touched on France, Brazil, and Argentina:
"It’s going to be difficult. France, Brazil and Argentina are the stand-out teams, the depth of their squads, especially the French and Brazilian, is crazy. I don’t think we have that. We’ve got to have the perfect run physically [no injuries] to get anywhere near it."
Deschamps' squad is an exciting one that boasts the likes of Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe, Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema and Real Madrid's Aurelien Tchouameni.
Meanwhile, Ferdinand also believes Brazil will be a problem at the FIFA World Cup and that is with good reason.
Tite's went unbeaten in CONMBEOL World Cup qualifiers and are the current record holders with five titles to their name.
Selecao's 26-man squad for the tournament was announced on Monday, 7 November.
Tite has chosen the likes of PSG's Neymar, Manchester United duo Casemiro and Antony, as well as Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker.
Finally, Argentina are sure to cause problems as it is the last FIFA World Cup that Lionel Messi will compete in.
The PSG striker has bagged 90 goals in 164 international caps for La Albiceleste.
He won the Copa America in 2021 with a 1-0 victory over Brazil in the final.
However, Messi yet to win the World Cup and will be eager to do in Qatar alongside teammates such as United's Lisandro Martinez and Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez.
Can England spring a surprise at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar?
Many are writing off England's chances off the back of a disappointing UEFA Nations League campaign.
The Three Lions finished bottom of Group 3 in League A with no wins, three draws, and as many defeats in six games.
However, Gareth Southgate's side were impressive at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, finishing fourth after being eliminated by Croatia in the semi-finals.
They also missed out on winning the European Championships last summer in agonizing fashion.
Italy beat the Three Lions 3-2 on penalties in the final after a 1-1 draw in normal time.
Southgate is likely to take the likes of Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane, Manchester City's Phil Foden, and Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham to Qatar.
He will name his 26-man squad on Thursday, 10 November.
