The former England captain has backed the Three Lions to reach the final against Spain in the US, and Rooney is hopeful that England can lift the World Cup for the first time since 1966.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Rooney explained: "England and Spain will make the final, and hopefully England will win it."

Joe Hart, Rooney's former teammate, is also convinced that England can go far in the World Cup.

Asked who he thinks will win the World Cup, Hart said: "England. But I am not actually that bothered whether I am right or wrong. I just like to back my people and I want England to do it."

Elsewhere, Micah Richards believes England have one of the strongest squads in the tournament.

However, he doubts whether the Three Lions will emerge victorious, given there are so many good teams in the competition.

Richards - who played for Manchester City and Aston Villa during his playing days - said: "How teams deal with the humidity is going to play a big part at this tournament, so the South American teams will be strong.

"But I just feel it’s going to be a team who are really good at keeping the ball and that points me in the direction of Spain instead.

"Argentina will go close, though, because of the way they work for Lionel Messi. I still think he can do something special, too."

Richards acknowledges that England have a lot of quality players in their squad, like Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham. But he doesn't consider them to be the pre-tournament favourites.

The former defender - who will be working for the BBC throughout the World Cup - said: "For England to win it, everyone is going to have to be at their best, and it feels like other countries have got players in better form right now.

"I actually think we are best placed to win the next Euros, in 2028. All our top players will be in their prime then, apart from Kane who will probably have retired."